Beside You in Time
by The Notorious Emberon
Summary: She's not afraid as the great form of Sesshomaru moves over her, nor when the orange light she can sense behind her closed eyelids becomes black as his body blocks out the light. She feels at peace, as if this is how it was meant to end all along.
1. A Sound in the Woods

**Author's Note: The events of this story take place early on in the series, around season 2 after Inu Yasha defeats Goshinki, the fourth incarnation of Naraku. There are a few filler characters whose names may not be accurate for Feudal Japan, but hey, I'm not Japanese so I don't know any better!

Also note that this story is rated M for mature. This is due to graphic depictions of violence, attempted rape and consensual sex. If you are bothered by this or you're not old enough, please don't read it!

This is not loli porn; Rin is seventeen in this story.

I do not own InuYasha.

Chapter One – A Sound in the Woods

The mist of the evening had just begun to dissipateas the sun crested the distant hills. Birds greeted the dawn with their morning song and the land was slowly bathed in sunlight. The rays outstretched over the forest trees and stirred Rin, who had been sleeping soundly in a makeshift bed of leaves and grass next to a now smoldering fire. She rubbed her eyes wearily and outstretched her arms, stifling a yawn as she sat up. She looked around her to find Jaken slumped against a large boulder not too far off, snoring noisily and murmuring in his sleep. Lord Sesshomaru, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Rin rose from her place of rest and surveyed the area for any sign of Sesshomaru. The three of them had spent the evening along the outskirts of a densely wooded area; several trees and large boulders surrounded their campsite on all sides but open terrain lay not too far beyond. The fire that had served to keep them warm through the evening hours was now just a pile of smoldering embers. Rin shivered and knelt by the fire's remains, prodding them with a stick in hopes of conjuring up some warmth. A few orange sparks spat up before dying down to blackness again. Rin sighed and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees and eying the smoky heap longingly. "I wonder where Lord Sesshomaru went to." She absentmindedly stirred the coals with her stick as she contemplated his whereabouts.

It was not uncommon for her lord to desert her without warning. Although Rin was young, she understood that Sesshomaru was very powerful and had his own matters to attend to. She had once begged him to let her accompany him on one of his mysterious excursions, but her pleas were, of course, denied. "These are affairs that you would not understand," Sesshomaru had told her. "It is too dangerous. Stay behind with Jaken." Rin was almost always ordered to stay with Jaken while Sesshomaru was away, and this was something that Jaken would often protest. "Why is it always up to me to watch this mortal brat while Lord Sesshomaru is gone?" Jaken would often think aloud to himself. He would even blame Rin for his mundane babysitting task while out of earshot of Sesshomaru. "This is all your fault, Rin! If we hadn't come across you, I would be at my master's side at this very instant, facing all sorts of perils alongside him! Oh, this is no way for a servant of my talents to live…"

Jaken snorted loudly in his sleep and brought Rin out of her thoughts. His incessant snoring along with the sudden pangs of hunger in her stomach motivated her to search the woods for food.

Food was unusually sparse in this part of the woods. Rin had traveled a good distance away from the site when she finally found a clump of mushrooms growing beside a tree stump. Overjoyed by her findings, she knelt on the ground and used the cloth of her kimono as a sort of makeshift basket. She began collecting the mushrooms one by one. "I do hope Master Jaken will be pleased with his breakfast!" She said aloud to herself as she picked them. Despite Jaken's contempt for her, she aimed to please nonetheless. It was her propensity for kindness that probably made Jaken hate her even more, but she didn't think much of it.

CRASH!

The mushrooms were sent careening out of Rin's hands and she stood up in awed silence. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but that sound was definitely close by. "What was that loud noise?" she thought as she scanned the trees for anything out of place. She knew she shouldn't stray any father from the site, and that investigating the noise alone could get her into trouble. Her curiosity got the best of her and she headed in the direction of the sound, scooping up a couple of mushrooms to eat along the way. "Just a quick peek and I will go back to Master Jaken so that my Lord will not worry."

She traveled the perimeter of the woods for some time and didn't encounter anything unusual. She was beginning to wonder if wandering so far out of her way was a good idea, when another loud crashing noise shook the trees around her.

"Whatever it is, I know I'm close!" She dropped the remainder of the mushroom she'd been eating and darted in the direction of the crashing sound. The sight she beheld beyond the trees sent a wave of panic over her.


	2. The Duelists

Chapter Two – The Duelists

Standing in the clearing with his sword drawn and ready for battle was Sesshomaru. His amber-colored eyes stared indifferently at a formidable demon that stood opposite of him about ten yards away. This demon walked upright and had long, sloping arms that almost touched the ground. His spine was lined with a column of sharp spikes and his bottom jaw jutted out to accommodate two large, pointed incisors. His eyes glowed an ominous red as he peered down at Sesshomaru. A couple of large trees lay uprooted on their sides not far off in the distance; Rin could only suppose that the large demon must have done the damage. The big demon began to speak in a low, gruff voice.

"Why must you prolong your inevitable demise?" the demon hissed as he glowered over Sesshomaru. "Stop this hesitation and let me end your life quickly. Naraku commands it!"

Sesshomaru stood his ground and observed the demon nonchalantly. "Who is it that you think you are dealing with? Naraku is a fool if he thinks another one of his pitiful incarnations is enough to take me down. Do us both a favor and run back to your master...unless you'd like to end up like your brother, Goshinki." Sesshomaru motioned to his sword, the tokijin, without breaking his cold gaze on the demon.

The large demon sniggered at this remark and stared directly into Sesshomaru's eyes. "You talk as if it was you who killed Goshinki…but he died at the hands of your brother, Inuyasha, did he not?"

Sesshomaru winced at the sound of his half-brother's name. "How did you know that?"

"I possess the ability to read minds, as my late brother Goshinki did," the big demon surmised, "but you will soon learn that I, Eichi, am much stronger than he ever was. Allow me to demonstrate my true power." Eichi glanced about his surroundings in search for the perfect victim on which to test his abilities. The only other living creature caught in his sights was a small squirrel that had poked its head timidly from a group of bushes nearby. Eichi crooked a vicious smile as a red beam of light shot from his eyes and encased the squirrel, immediately stunning it mid-step. The poor woodland creature trembled violently as its fur began to gray with age, until it eventually rotted where it stood, leaving a dried-up carcass in its place. Sesshomaru observed this display calmly, although he was admittedly impressed by this demon's power.

Eichi chuckled and faced Sesshomaru again. "You are impressed with my power, as I knew you would be. Now then, enough time has been wasted…it's time for you to die!"

Sesshomaru barely had time to act as Eichi cast a fiery beam in his direction. Rather than dodge it, Sesshomaru raised the tokijin quickly, allowing the beam to ricochet off the blade. The beam hit a nearby tree, causing a limb to split and fall. A slight curl came to Sesshomaru's lips as he eyed the dumbfounded demon and the withered tree limb in the distance. "It would seem that Goshinki's fangs are able to withstand your power," Sesshomaru said in an arrogant tone. "Pity. I had expected more of a challenge from you."

A rustling sound in the woods nearby caught the attention of the duelists. The burly demon sniffed at the air and chuckled in delight. "A mortal girl is watching us from behind those trees. She smells deliciously afraid."

At that moment, Sesshomaru's blank expression gave way to that of concern, and his heart leapt into his throat as he realized that the mortal girl watching them was Rin.

Eichi sensed the sudden change in Sesshomaru's demeanor and observed him thoughtfully. "You…care for this girl. I can sense it. How absurd, a demon caring for a mortal. And to think that I had initially sensed no warm feelings in your heart…you're even more pathetic than I thought!"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and tightened the grip around his sword handle. "Leave the girl out of this. Your fight is with me."

Eichi laughed sadistically and licked his lips with a long, snakelike tongue as he stared unblinkingly Rin. "She knows we are aware of her presence now, but refuses to run because she does not want to leave you. How sweet. Then I suppose it's only fitting that you should die together!"

Eichi diverted his attention from Sesshomaru to Rin and took a giant leap in her direction. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and trailed directly behind him with his sword prepared to strike. Although his concentration was firmly set on obliterating this meddlesome demon from existence, a brief sensation of fear came over him as Rin's tiny figure came more clearly into view. She stood paralyzed in fright as the two giant teeth of Naraku's incarnation approached her at lightening speed. She looked as if she was trying to scream, but couldn't. Sesshomaru had just begun to make a motion to warn Rin to take cover; at the last moment, the demon whirled around and struck at Sesshomaru with his claws. Sesshomaru barely dodged the attack and his kosode ripped in several places where the claws grazed him. He fell to his feet several yards away from Rin, and clutched at his torn kosode sleeve in shock. "Of course…that demon can predict my every move…"

"A clever observation," Eichi said, quickly pinning Rin beneath his giant hand. Rin emitted a frightened squeak as she struggled against her attacker. "Lord Sesshomaru!" she shrieked.

"You were so sure that my attack would be focused on the girl that you fell right into my trap. Apparently you aren't as smart as I thought," the demon remarked. Sesshomaru could hear Rin struggling beneath the weight of the big demon's hand. Try as she might, no amount of wriggling would free her from his grasp.

Sesshomaru detested this demon with every fiber of his being, and he detested this predicament even more. Such a lowly demon gaining the upperhand by using Rin...and because Eichi could read his mind, there seemed to be little hope that he could make it to Rin in time before she was mercilessly killed. Even in this trying situation, Sesshomaru did not distress. If need be, he could always use tensaiga to resurrect Rin if she was killed by this demon. "Since you can read minds, you must know that I possess a sword that will heal the girl with a single stroke. Your efforts to intimidate me with her possible death are rendered useless."

The demon laughed heartily at Sesshomaru's words. "That might be true, under normal circumstances. But this is different. I know how your sword, the tensaiga, works. It merely eliminates the messengers from the otherworld so that the soul will stay with the body, does it not? However, my powers allow me to suck the youth from the body, so that even if you could bring this girl back to life, she would be nothing but a haggard old woman, and would die of natural causes soon after! Now you see just how serious I am."

Sesshomaru bared his fangs, expressing his frustration for the first time. "Believe me when I say that if Rin dies, my wrath will be great, and you will regret ever laying eyes on me."

"Is that so? Then let's see you try to stop me."

Rin was quickly encased in a beam of light that was cast from the big demon's eyes. A warm, tingling sensation came over her and slowly developed into a numbing pain. She lay powerless on the ground as her limbs began to ache and swell. She watched in horror as her hands slowly increased in size and her clothes began to feel snug around her body. "Lord—Sesshomaru!" she gasped.

Sesshomaru could not contain his anger any longer. Watching Rin at the mercy of some worthless incarnation drove him wild with rage. He knew what had to be done, and allowed the fury that was stirring inside of him to dominate all of his senses. His eyes deepened into a bloody crimson as a strong wind began to circle at his feet, then quickly rose to envelope his entire body. His hair was sent into a violent wave of silver tresses behind him and his delicate features began to change into that of a dog. It didn't matter to him if the demon knew what he was doing; the demon would not survive the fight, and Rin was not going to die.

The true form of Sesshomaru now towered over the demon; rows of sharp teeth protruded from his doglike snout and his large, red eyes burned with complete loathing as he stared down at his foe. Eichi had expected the change to occur, but did not know what consequences would come with it. Sesshomaru could smell a twinge of fear on the demon, who was now twice as small as he was. Sesshomaru wasted no more time; he lunged at the demon with his teeth bared, prepared to bite him in half.

The demon released his spell on Rin and cast her limp body into the bushes as he dove out of the way of Sesshomaru's menacing teeth. Sesshomaru growled as he eyed the demon, licking his jaws hungrily in his approach. Eichi made a desperate attempt to cast his death-bringing light on Sesshomaru, who jumped out of the way effortlessly.

Eichi walked in slow circles around Sesshomaru, preparing for the dog demon's next attack. He laughed, albeit somewhat nervously, to mask the fear that he felt. "You're a fast one in your true form, I'll give you that," Eichi credited him. "But I'm afraid that won't matter in the end. I can predict your next move exactly. There is nothing you can do. You are _powerless_." Eichi laughed again, taunting his opponent, while he continued to sidestep in a big arc around him. _"I will merely keep him distracted and then I will make my move when he least expects it,"_ Eichi thought to himself, mentally preparing himself for his next attack.

However, Eichi was slowly discovering that it was impossible to hear Sesshomaru's thoughts while he was in his true form. While the typical demon or human brain thinks in words, a dog's brain does not. Instead, Eichi had to assess Sesshomaru's moves by sensing nonverbal cues. And this was an ability that he was not used to using. Why would he be, when he could typically read minds?

Eichi stared unwavering at Sesshomaru and waited for a sign of an attack. Sesshomaru's dog form merely followed him with his eyes and took small steps in place as Eichi circled him. Eichi began sidestepping a little faster now, misstepping and nearly falling as his mind was becoming slowly consumed with the realization that he couldn't calculate when an attack would come. He caught himself and continued moving in his circle, hoping that Sesshomaru didn't catch on.

"If you're trying to intimidate me, it won't work," Eichi shouted frantically. He meant it as a threat, but the tone in his voice revealed he was mostly reassuring himself. "One wrong move and I'll suck the life out of you until you're just a pile of dust."

The dog's visage remained fixed and calm, as he followed Eichi's every step with his burning eyes and quiet panting.

Eichi misstepped again, and regained his composure more clumsily this time. His breathing had become erratic. He was slowly giving way to panic. "I mean it, you cursed mutt," Eichi spat. "Whatever you're planning, it won't work. I can kill you at any second. Any second, do you hear me?"

The dog licked his jaws again but made no motion towards the cowardly incarnation.

"I refuse to play this game any longer!" Eichi screeched in a wavering tone. His body had begun to tremble. "It's time for you to die!" Eichi half-stepped on a rock in his path that he hadn't noticed in his borderline hysteria and stumbled for a third time. This was it.

Sesshomaru lunged forward before the incarnation could steady himself and bit down as hard as he could. He reveled in the delightful sensation of his giant canines sinking into Eichi's flesh. Eichi let out a mangled cry as his insides were effortlessly punctured like rubber balloons. Slowly his torso was torn away from his lower half as Sesshomaru's powerful jaws continued to clamp down. His bowels unraveled onto the ground in a sloppy heap and his black, vile blood drained out of him like thick oil. The glow in his eyes dulled to blackness. And then in an instant, his remains disintegrated into dust.

"That fool…he didn't stand a chance," Sesshomaru thought to himself as he allowed his normal calm to sweep over him and transform him into his former self. Eichi was not so hard to defeat after all. All it required was the wearing of his patience.

After the last of the wind that circled around him died away, Sesshomaru's focus shifted to Rin, who had not emerged from the bushes since she had been thrown there by Eichi. "Rin, you can come out now." He had expected the girl to rustle about the bushes, weakened but unharmed, or call out for him at the very least…but her voice did not call back to him, and the bushes sat completely motionless as he approached them. "Rin, come out from there." He parted the branches aside, searching for a sign of her somewhere, and becoming slightly alarmed after entertaining the notion that Eichi may have succeeded in killing her after all. "This is the last time I'm going to say it-" but he could not finish his sentence once his eyes beheld what they saw next.


	3. Sesshomaru's Surprise

**Author's Note: This chapter is a bit short so I'll update a new chapter sooner than three days from now. Enjoy :)

I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter Three – Sesshomaru's Surprise

There in the bushes lay a beautiful young woman, naked and unconscious. Sesshomaru's eyes traveled up her body, taking in the sinuous nature of her curves and the pale milkiness of her skin. He was immediately taken by curiosity as he observed this girl. "How did I not sense the presence of a mortal woman before?" he asked himself as his eyes casually glanced over her breasts and then finally came to rest on her face.

At that moment, Sesshomaru's cold demon heart skipped a beat, a sensation that had long eluded him until now. The shape of the girl's eyes and the fashion in which she wore her hair immediately gave her identity away: it was Rin! Sesshomaru widened his eyes in disbelief and recounted all of that morning's events as he observed Rin's visage. "That demon…he must not have finished sucking her youth away." He knelt beside Rin's motionless body and lay the back of his hand against her cheek, shuddering slightly as he felt how smooth it was. '_So strange…'_ he thought to himself, _'this feeling that I have is so strange…in years past, the sight of mortal women roused nothing but bitter contempt and disgust…and yet now…I feel compelled to…'_ compelled to what, he wondered? _'I don't understand this feeling!'_ he thought to himself in frustration.

Sesshomaru removed his mokomoko and hastily wrapped it around Rin, who did not stir as he did so. Once she was adequately covered, he scooped her up with his right arm and carried her out from the bushes and back into the clearing. He paused for a moment as he held her close to him, looking down into her face and examining how the demon's spell had altered her appearance. Her former childlike qualities had given way to an exquisite, womanish beauty. Her long, black lashes lay prominently against the delicate features of her face, and her lips had ripened like sweet nectarines. Her very being seemed to radiate a sort of ethereal glow as he gazed down at her, and hew new captivating scent greeted his nostrils with a floral allure as he gingerly sniffed at her hair, which was now much longer than before. _S_esshomaru was interrupted as Jaken approached in the distance.

"Lord Sesshomaru, there you are!" Jaken exclaimed with glee as he hopped awkwardly over a large tree root and eagerly took his place at Sesshomaru's side. "Mi lord, there should be no cause for alarm when I say this but it seems that Rin has-" Jaken cut himself off when he noticed a tattered piece of Rin's old garments laying in the grass nearby and that Sesshomaru's mokomoko was bundled up in his right arm. "Mi lord? What has happened?"

Sesshomaru didn't look at Jaken as he spoke. "We must find a human village immediately. Summon AhUn. We are leaving."

Jaken stared up at his master dumbfounded for a moment, confused by his orders. "But mi lord…"

"Do as I command, and do not hesitate!" Sesshomaru cast a nasty glance at Jaken, who backed away fearfully and then quickly scrambled off into the woods. When positive that he was alone, Sesshomaru looked down at Rin, furrowing his eyebrows in puzzlement as the unfamiliar emotion swept over him once more. He closed his eyes and willed the emotion away, and waited passively for the return of Jaken.


	4. The Village

**Author's Note: Things should start to pick up from here on out.

I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter Four – The Village

The afternoon clouds rolled about the skies lazily, half concealing a scorching summer sun. The human village was poor, but the inhabitants seemed in good spirits as they went about their daily tasks. Men tended to an abundance of crops with the help of their wives, and young sons and daughters scampered about in play, unaware of the poverty in which they lived. Many of the buildings were in need of repair, but a recent raid of the village deprived the people of the necessary tools to fix them. Instead, holes in roofs were covered hastily with straw and dilapidated sheds were kept standing by leaning large pieces of wood against them. A few cattle were penned up within a crude fence fashioned from rotting wood. The sound of talk and laughter filled the air as the villagers tried to make the best of their misfortunes.

The village dwellers seemed oblivious to the two unfamiliar figures that were fast approaching in the distance. Two young boys that were playing swords were the first to catch glimpse of them. "Father, someone is coming! Over there!" One boy called up to his father, who was sitting up on a roof patching holes. The boy's father peered into the distance, and alerted the other villagers. "Quick, someone is coming! Everyone stand your ground! Women, take the children and get inside the shelters!" The women did not panic, but gathered up their children as quickly as possible and scurried inside their homes, as if experiencing this same drill several times before. The men all banded together, but had no weapons. Instead, they grabbed up some pieces of wood and waited for the strangers to enter the village.

Sesshomaru, still carrying an unconscious Rin, approached the village without caution and was greeted with the sight of several men holding pieces of wood, obviously waiting for an assault. Jaken was at his side with the staff of two heads, scurrying to keep up with him. They stopped at the perimeter of the village, facing off with the villagers that seemed so eager to protect what little they had left. At first Sesshomaru looked as though he may laugh at the pathetic sight of these mortals whose only defense was a few rotted pieces of wood in their hands, but he did not. Instead he allowed the villagers to whisper amongst themselves for a few moments before speaking.

"Is he a demon?" he heard one man ask the man next to him. "What is that he is carrying?" another asked. Whispers continued all around even as Sesshomaru spoke.

"I have a woman here that needs medical assistance, as well as clothing." Sesshomaru's tone was more of a command than a request, and he waited for a response.

"You aren't welcome here!" One of the men finally said. "We have nothing to offer you, as we can barely keep ourselves alive. Spare our village. As you can see, we have nothing left." Sesshomaru examined each one of the villagers individually. Many of the men had suffered injuries recently, he surmised, as he counted the number of bandaged arms and legs among the crowd.

"Worthless mortals!" Jaken shouted. "Mi lord, these villagers are obviously deceiving you! Look at those bandages…they must have medical supplies somewhere! I say you destroy them all and take their supplies. You've already shown them great kindness by not killing them all on sight! Even better, allow me to annihilate them, mi lord! Exterminating mortals is a task unworthy of such a powerful demon lord like yourself…"

"Quiet, Jaken. These mortals are too pitiful for their own good. To kill them would only do them justice," Sesshomaru said. "There is nothing for us here. Let's move out."

Jaken blinked in surprise at his master's words. "But…but, mi lord!"

"Do not question me again, Jaken, or your punishment will be great." Jaken stared down at his feet defeated and sighed.

"Yes, mi lord," he said with far less enthusiasm as he turned to follow his master.

A woman's voice rang out behind them as they motioned to leave. "Wait!"

Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder and saw that an older woman was being held back by one of the male villagers.

"Stupid wench, he'll kill you! Just let him go, he said he was leaving!" the man struggled to hold her arms back, but she eventually broke free and walked defiantly to Sesshomaru, who had turned to face her.

The woman was not terribly old but had signs of age on her face. It was obvious she'd been a laboring woman her whole life. She seemed unable to come up words as she stared up at Sesshomaru. At first he thought she may be having second thoughts, but she eventually spoke, albeit very timidly.

"Forgive us…our village was recently attacked and many of our resources were stolen. The bandages you see on our men were the last of our medical supplies. I know very well that you are a demon and could easily slaughter us all if you wanted to…but you chose not to, and for that we are all very grateful." The woman turned her head and raised an eyebrow at the men, who seemed confused for a moment but then hesitantly grunted in affirmation.

Sesshomaru stared down at her, unphased by her gratitude. "So what?"

The woman seemed taken aback by his rudeness, but continued to talk softly. "There is another village about a day's walk from here. It's a prosperous village, and I'm sure they would have a doctor and supplies there."

Sesshomaru contemplated her words for a time and spoke again. "Where may I find this village?"

The woman smiled slightly as her generosity was realized by Sesshomaru. "To the north, right next to that pass between the mountains over there," she pointed in the direction of the village. "It may take even less time for you, since you are a demon. I have some extra clothing here…it's not much, but it will do for now." The woman glanced at Rin with piqued interest and motioned for one of the men to find some clothes for the girl. The man looked as though he wanted to protest, but thought better of it, and went to look for some clothes.

Sesshomaru stood in thought and looked down at Jaken, who looked as though he was bursting at the seams to speak. Jaken obviously did not care for his lord to be taking advice from a lowly mortal woman. "Jaken, go fetch AhUn. We head for the mountains. And don't say a word, or I will kill you." Jaken made a guttural noise in his throat and scurried away from the village, fearful that he might have an accidental outburst and end up dead for it. The village man who had gone in search of clothing came back with a rather plain-looking brown kimono folded up neatly in his arms. He bowed in respect before Sesshomaru, placing the garment gently on the ground, and backed away without raising an eye. He took his place next to the older woman, who was the only one among the villagers brave enough to stare Sesshomaru directly in the eye. She awaited his approval of the item.

Sesshomaru observed the garment for a moment before saying, "It is odd that a village so recently assaulted still harbors such bountiful crops in its fields." The woman swallowed hard, not knowing how to reply to his calm observation. Jaken returned, leading AhUn by the reigns and panting heavily as he staggered over to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru shot Jaken a piercing glance; it was a silent command to take the kimono. Jaken scrambled to pick the over sized garment up in his diminutive hands without unfolding it. He looked at the bundled up heap of cloth and remarked loudly enough for the villagers to hear, "It really isn't much to look at, is it mi lord?"

Sesshomaru turned from the villagers and started walking in the direction of the mountains without a word. Jaken sighed to himself as he watched his master go. "You mortals may have gotten off easy this time, but next time you may not be so lucky! My master is not always so benevolent." He floundered beneath the weight of the kimono as he tried to lead AhUn alongside him, calling for the now distant figure of Sesshomaru to slow down.


	5. Rin's Discovery

** Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter Five – Rin's Discovery

Rin awoke to find herself propped against a tree stump with Sesshomaru's mokomoko still wrapped around her. She muttered something to herself as she gripped her head, which was pulsating with the worst headache she'd ever experienced. She looked about her in confusion, not understanding the new location or why she was covered in Sesshomaru's mokomoko…then slowly, the last moments before she fell unconscious came back to her.

"I was…attacked, by that demon," she mumbled.

Jaken's voice answered her unexpectedly from behind the tree stump which she lay against. "Yes, you stupid girl, you threw yourself in harms way and endangered the life of our great lord in the process! It's a good thing for us that Lord Sesshomaru would never allow his life to be taken at the hands of some lowly incarnation. Now hurry up and put on that kimono so we can alert our lord and be on our way."

Rin blinked hard, not understanding his request. "Kimono? But…" she realized then that she was completely naked, and even more alarming still, that her body's appearance had been greatly altered. She looked down at herself, allowing the soft fur of the mokomoko to slip away from her body, and observed the swell of two firm breasts. She screamed.

"Master Jaken! Lord Sesshomaru! What has happened to me?!" She shot up frantically, barely able to steady herself on her new lengthier legs, and stumbled helplessly about, balancing herself by holding onto the tree stump and edging her way over to where Jaken was sitting. "Master Jaken, please! Help me!"

Jaken gasped in embarrassment and turned away from her, covering his eyes with his sleeve. "Stupid girl, you're not even dressed! Put on some clothes before you come barreling at me like that!"

Rin lost her balance and fell to her knees. She bowed her head in a shame that she did not fully understand and began sobbing to herself, allowing the tears to fall off her cheeks and form little wet circles in the dirt beneath her. "I…I don't understand what's happened! I'm not dying, am I?"

A cold sensation swept over Rin as she felt the approach of Sesshomaru in the distance. The sound of his light footsteps approaching finally stopped about three feet behind her. The color drained from Rin's face as she realized that he had a full view of her from behind, naked and crying. She wanted to turn and face him, to hug him and beg for his comfort, but she knew that no solace would come from the indifferent demon lord; it never had in the past, why would he hold her now of all times, when she was a sobbing, miserable wreck? Instead she continued staring at the ground without blinking, biting her lip slightly as she waited for Sesshomaru's words.

"You are not dying," he said solemnly. "The demon that did this to you has already paid for his crime. You will have to learn to accept what you have become, and you must do so with haste. I don't have the time or patience for these crying spells." Rin gasped slightly as she felt the dingy cloth of the kimono fall over her shoulders. "Put this on. You still may be suffering side effects from that demon's spell. I am taking you to a human village to seek a Priestess. She may be able to reverse what has been done." Rin heard Sesshomaru retreat into the woods a ways before she gathered the nerve to turn around. She caught a glimpse of his silver hair as it disappeared behind a tree and then he was gone.

She blinked rapidly to free the last tears from her eyes and swallowed a hard lump that had developed in her throat. The thought of her demon master seeing her naked in this manner felt strange. She pulled the kimono around her body and clumsily slipped her arms through the sleeves. The kimono was a dull brown color with no obvious pattern to it, and it was far too big for her. It was obviously intended for an older, larger woman. She raised an over sized sleeve to her face to wipe the tears away. If Sesshomaru did not want her to cry, then she would not cry.

She tied the kimono and adjusted it as best as she could. The sleeves almost completely concealed her hands, and the top was so loose that it immediately fell to the side of her right shoulder. She slowly stood to her feet and regained her composure as best as she could. She was unsure of how this transformation took place, but she was positive that Sesshomaru would be able to find a way to reverse it.

Jaken, seeing that Rin was dressed, waddled towards her while keeping his eyes fixed on the woods where Sesshomaru had retreated. He couldn't be certain, but his lord seemed to wear an unfamiliar expression upon seeing her. _"Could he be...?"_ Jaken's thoughts trailed off and he shook his head in disbelief. _"No, no...in the time I have served him, Lord Sesshomaru has _never_ shown interest in a female, and most certainly not a mortal. I must be imagining things."_

Rin looked down at Jaken, who was now standing at her side and seemed lost in his own thoughts. "Master Jaken...is something the matter?"

Jaken shot an embarrassed glance at her and waved his hands around in an exaggerated '_Who? Me? No, not me!' _manner. "No no, not at all! I'm merely wondering how Sesshomaru intends to turn you back to normal is all. It will require a very powerful Priestess, I would assume. These are the powers of Naraku at work, here! Who knows if the spell can be reversed?" Jaken sighed in relief after he finished spewing out his fake train of thought until he looked up at her and saw she was fighting back tears again.

The little toad demon's eyes bulged out of his head (moreso than usual) and he made a loud "guffaw!" sound as he realized that his cover story merely made things worse. He began hopping from one foot to the other rapidly as he tried to think of something else to distract Rin from her plight. Sesshomaru would not be pleased to know that he was responsible for making Rin dwell on her transformation.

"Err, didn't Lord Sesshomaru say we should get underway once you were dressed? Perhaps we should look for him!"

Rin nodded weakly in response. "Yes, I guess we should." She paused for a moment in contemplation before asking, "Is AhUn ready?"

Jaken glanced back at AhUn, who was not wearing his riding gear and was snoring softly next to a distant tree. Jaken threw his hands into the air and raced over to AhUn exasperated, then began prodding the animal nervously with a tiny toad-like finger to wake him. "Up now, AhUn! We have matters to attend to! Get up, you lazy beast!"

AhUn's eyes fluttered open to investigate the diminutive pokings. The head closest to Jaken raised slightly and sniffed the air. Upon seeing it was Jaken, he lowered his head and both pairs of eyes sealed shut again. Jaken kicked AhUn's foot out of frustration and yelped when he only succeeded in stubbing his toe.

Jaken shouted to Rin over his shoulder as he began readying AhUn's saddle. Asleep or not, the beast must be ready in time for Sesshomaru's return. "Rin, this would be far less time consuming if you came over here and helped me!"

But there was no response to Jaken's plea. Rin was already gone.


	6. An Awkward Encounter

**Author's Note: My next update will probably take a bit longer than usual, but I promise it will be worth the wait. :D

I do now own Inuyasha.

Chapter Six - An Awkward Encounter

Rin kept her eyes on her feet as she walked through the thick undergrowth of the forest. She had to calculate every step to ensure she didn't fall again. Her new body proportions turned the simple task of walking into a test of coordination and balance. She repeated a simple mantra in her head to keep her feet in sync with one another. _"One, two, one two. Left, right, left right."_ Eventually she established a rhythm, and was able to look up at her surroundings as she walked. The forest was dense and seemed to go on forever. Even worse, there was no sign of Sesshomaru.

She sighed as she continued onward. Jaken could really be insensitive at times. But she supposed he couldn't really understand what it was like to have your entire world turned upside down in a matter of minutes. "Master Jaken merely sees me as a nuisance anyway, this is probably just something else for him to worry about." As Rin became flustered, she missed a step and stumbled forward. She threw her arms in front of her and stopped herself from falling on her face as her hands made contact with the forest floor. That was when she heard the sound of rushing water.

She cocked her head towards the sound, still balancing herself on her hands. "A stream? If I follow that, it will make it easier to find my way back if I can't find Lord Sesshomaru." _Could_ she find him? He could be anywhere by now...but why would he go so far out of the way when he seemed so eager to leave the forest to find a Priestess?

Rin steadied herself on her feet again and walked more cautiously towards the sound. Not too far off behind some tall bushes, she discovered that there was in fact a stream. She examined the path of water carefully, and saw that it ebbed and flowed several hundred yards away before it disappeared behind a cluster of trees. She then looked down at her feet. Well, if anything she'd have the hang of walking by the end of the trip.

Rin plotted forward, and continued to think amidst the ambiance of running water and forest sounds. Birds chattered overhead but she took no heed to their cries. She was absorbed by thoughts of her transformation, and more importantly, she was coming to realize that it was not just her physical body that had been altered. "I don't just look different, I _feel _different. I felt a weird sensation when Lord Sesshomaru was behind me before. It's almost like I _wanted _him to look at me." No, that was impossible. She was _embarrassed _to have him look at her. But even so, the way she regarded her demon caretaker seemed different now. She shook her head, as if trying to shake off the notion. "Well, it doesn't matter now. Soon we'll find a Priestess and I'll be back to normal again. Then things can go back to the way they were and I can forget about all of this." But Rin was surprised when a voice seemed to beckon her from deep inside her subconscious. _"What if you don't want to forget?"_

At the opposite end of the stream, Sesshomaru was immersed neck deep in pond water. His garments were discarded on a rocky bank in a disheveled heap. They had obviously been removed in a hurry.

But it was not for the purpose of relaxing or even bathing that Sesshomaru found himself wading in the water's depths. In fact, the water was chilling, even on his resilient demon skin. But that was the purpose of his presence there. He sought a distraction in the icy water.

His long hair fanned out around him and waved gently against the water's surface as his eyes seemed to stare into nothingness. He could feel the gentle current of the nearby stream lap at his neck and face. He allowed the cold to absorb into his body. He resisted the urge to shiver.

"_Strange,"_ he thought to himself as leaves rustled against the wind overhead. _"It would seem even I am not impervious to new feelings."_ New feelings. He suddenly felt nauseated.

The conundrum with Rin was certainly a difficult one. He knew she must be confused about the change of her body, but he had no experience with such matters. Even if he had wanted to understand, he felt incapable. And Sesshomaru did not like feeling incapable.

Is that why he retreated to this pond? Partially. He supposed it was a quick escape from facing a potentially awkward situation. But it was more than just that. Far more.

The very sight of her, especially her bare flesh, roused a myriad of new feelings and thoughts that stirred so heavily in his brain that he felt overwhelmed by them. The sudden lack of control over his own emotions frustrated him, to say the least. Especially when they were emotions that he did not understand.

He briefly considered the possibility of simply abandoning Rin. After all, he had no business with humans from the start and it would circumvent the problem altogether. But this split-second notion made his blood run hot. _"How could I consider such a thing? After all I have done to keep her safe, could I so readily cast her away now? Even if it served only to ease my mind?_" He then became aware of yet another emotion, one that he was familiar with but had not felt in eons. Guilt.

Sesshomaru furrowed his brow in annoyance. Apparently, the cold water wasn't enough to help him stifle his thoughts.

He gave the skies one last hard look before resigning to a simple expression of his frustration: a sigh. He then turned towards shore and began walking up the slope of the pond's floor, all the while trying to leave his troubles behind with the icy currents. He emerged out of the water up to his midsection when he heard a "SNAP!" come from the trees nearby. Someone was watching him.

Was he really so engrossed by his thoughts that he let his guard down? He gnashed his teeth. The cold water must have also dulled his keen sense of smell. Never before had he been caught in such a vulnerable position. The prospect made him absolutely furious. "You have one opportunity to show yourself, otherwise you may as well consider yourself dead."

The only sound that responded to his decree was the calm rustling of the trees as the wind picked up. He readily ignored the cold air as it danced past his wet flesh, and withdrew his hand from the water. He tensed his fingers, poised to strike at the next detection of movement. Even if he couldn't easily subdue his own mind, he would readily annihilate _anyone_ who thought they could get away with sneaking up on him.

Suddenly, he caught a scent on the wind. An enrapturing, floral scent...

Rin's figure emerged from behind the trees. Her frightened eyes were fixed on his hand, but her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink. Her gaze shifted from his hand to his eyes; they seemed to regard her almost despondently as he slowly eased his hand back into the water. The wind caused the top of her kimono to fall down her right arm again, revealing her bare shoulder. She absentmindedly pulled the fabric back into place without withdrawing her eyes from Sesshomaru. Her attempt to adjust it failed and it simply fell again, but she didn't seem to notice.

Her knees felt weak, and this time it wasn't because of an inability to walk. She was quite simply mesmerized by the mere sight of him.

Sesshomaru's anger drifted into an unnerving sense of curiosity. He could feel a change in Rin's demeanor as she observed him. She was noticeably terrified at first, but now she seemed almost enamored. He realized then that only the lower half of his body remained concealed by water. He considered retreating back into the pond, but there wasn't much of a point now. She had already succeeded in stumbling across him in this compromising position, to fall back now would only make things more awkward. He chose instead to stand his ground...though admittedly, this was difficult to do when her eyes began to wander, and she made no visible effort to disguise it.

Rin watched on captivated as droplets of water worked their way down Sesshomaru's body, hugging the crevices of his muscles as they traveled down his chest and stomach and eventually rejoined with the pond. She bit her lip as she looked at him. She couldn't recall ever seeing Sesshomaru disrobed before. The sight was perplexing.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Sesshomaru spoke. Being discovered in an undignified situation like this did not put him in the best of spirits, even despite her outward fascination. In fact, somehow this only made his already foul mood worse.

"Well?" he asked, more bitterly than intended.

Rin snapped out of her daze and she lowered her eyes immediately. Her hands instinctively began to fumble with the tie of her kimono as she stammered a nervous reply, "I...I wanted to tell you that Master Jaken and I are prepared to leave at your will, mi lord."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened in disbelief. He was amazed at the sheer stupidity of her actions. She had traveled all this way, through dense woods and without a guide, simply to tell him that? Not to mention that she was invading his privacy when he clearly wanted to be left alone. Hell, he almost _killed _her just now, and she seemed completely oblivious to the fact. She merely stood before him, a bit nervous but unaware, and awaited his response.

He thought at first that he might scold her. Was she really so naïve to see the unnecessary danger she put herself into? And how could she simply stand there staring at him when his intentions to kill were so obvious?

But his eyes were suddenly drawn to the contrast of her milky pale shoulder against the deep brown fabric of her kimono, and then to the graceful arch of her collarbone. His impulse to yell at her faded as his gaze continued to the curve of her breasts that were barely peering from behind her top. Her downcast eyes allowed him to do this without restraint. However, he quickly averted his eyes, and finally responded to her statement with a simple, "I see."

Rin was certain that he must be angry at her. She didn't really think about the consequences of her actions. She merely wanted to get away from Jaken, and she supposed...well, she supposed she could spend a moment alone with him. Maybe even inquire about her transformation and what sort of Priestess they'd need to find to reverse it. "I'm sorry that I wandered off alone, Lord Sesshomaru. I know you must be disappointed in me."

Sesshomaru was far more than disappointed with her actions, albeit faintly impressed that she managed to ambush him when so many others before her had failed. He supposed it was better that she was the one to do it; had it been anyone else, they would already be dead. Still, the idea of a human gaining the upper hand left a sour taste in his mouth. He shook his head. This encounter had gone on long enough, he decided.

It was time for them to move on, and time for him to shake off these useless thoughts and desires once and for all.

"Do not go out on your own anymore. You put yourself at unnecessary risk when you do so. That is all I will say on the subject. We have more pressing matters at hand, as you already know. Now, turn around."

Rin looked up at him, not understanding the nature of his request. Her eyes took in the masculine angles of his body for a final time before she realized that he needed to get dressed. She opened her mouth as if to say "oh!" and hurriedly turned her back on him. She supposed that all of her gawking must have made him feel uncomfortable. Though, did Sesshomaru _ever_ feel uncomfortable?

A sudden gust of wind behind her sent her hair into a tangled mess over her face. Sesshomaru had dashed with demonic efficiency out of the water and begun replacing his clothes without a moment's hesitation. Rin pawed through her hair to set it back to rights again. As she flattened out a final tuft of hair with the palm of her hand, she quickly peeked over her shoulder to see if she could catch a glimpse of him. Disappointingly, he was already dry besides some dampness at the ends of his hair and completely clothed. Well, he was a demon after all, and hopelessly fast at that.

She cocked her head in surprise as she analyzed her own thoughts. Why would her lord being in a state of undress mean anything to her? She'd never even thought about it before today. Somehow, her curiosities about him extended into a new realm that was completely foreign to her.

She was snapped back into the present as Sesshomaru's voice broke the silence once more. "We will retrieve Jaken and AhUn and fly to a village that I've heard may be able to aid you. It's not from here. I will assume you have no objections."

Rin looked down at herself to reaffirm that her body hadn't mysteriously transformed back to normal and was greeted by a top view of the swells on her chest. She nodded in affirmation, though a small part of her still remained unsure.

Sesshomaru gave a slight nod back. "Very well." He opened his hand palm-faced-down and summoned a cloud for them to travel on. He stepped onto it with graceful ease and extended his already open hand to her without looking at her. His brazen eyes appeared to be fixed on some large mountains in the distance. Rin assumed that the village he spoke of must be in that general direction. She looked at the cloud with some uncertainty before taking his hand and allowing herself to be hoisted onto it.

The structure of the cloud felt unstable beneath Rin's feet and she immediately stumbled forward. She was not accustomed to traveling this way as she typically would ride AhUn. She gasped as Sesshomaru's arm quickly enveloped her and pulled her close to him. She looked down at his hand, which was now wrapped tightly around her waist, then up at his face, which still seemed to disregard her entirely. He wore a cold expression as the cloud began to make its ascension into the sky, and his concentration switched from the mountains to the woods where Jaken and AhUn awaited them. This was an expression that Rin knew all too well.

Yet somehow, Rin took comfort in this expression. Though his features were stern and cold, and his words were often colder still, the way his arm held her tightly to him as they made their way over the woods told a different story. She eased her stance and allowed her limbs to relax. Slowly, her eyes closed and she laid her head contently against his chest. She knew her lord would not let harm befall her, and she took comfort in knowing that despite his outward callousness, he cared for her more than maybe even he himself realized.

Sesshomaru could feel her body go limp against him. He looked down at her finally, and thought she must have fallen asleep. Well, that was a silly thing to do. Jaken and AhUn were but a short distance away, she would have maybe a minute at best before they were on the ground again. But he supposed that today was hard on her, especially as she was human. He often forgot how frail humans really were.

The way she pressed her face into his chest was not unlike other encounters they might have had before today. Often at night, she would wander onto his lap and curl up peacefully to sleep, with her little face pressed into his chest much like it was now. He had objected at first, but after while he became accustomed to these nighttime occurrences. In fact, he even began to look forward to them in a way. He had felt a sort of satisfaction from the warmth of her small frame curled up against him, he supposed there was no real harm in that. Was now really so different?

He continued to stare at her, observing her feathery black lashes as they lay against her cheeks. Her lips were parted slightly and they attested to the fact that she really was asleep. Below the chin, her over sized kimono granted him full viewing access to the top of her breasts being pushed firmly against his armor breastplate. His heart lurched.

He pulled the cloth of her kimono up over her shoulders as best as he could do with one arm, and accidentally brushed a few strands of her hair into her face. As he watched the flowing strands dance across her nose, he felt compelled to brush them back behind her ear. It was a sign of affection that he was not used to showing. No, he supposed now was different than the other times.

"_It's time to cast away these useless thoughts and desires once and for all,"_ a biting voice inside his head reminded him.

Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose in disgust with himself, and left the strands of hair as they were. He looked to the woods. The cloud had finally begun its descent.


	7. Seeking the Priestess

** Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to update. This chapter was actually cut in half because it was so long. The other half will be apart of the next chapter, which means the next update should happen a bit quicker :)

I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter Seven – Seeking the Priestess

The sun was slowly drifting behind the hills to the west by the time the prosperous village at the foot of the mountains came into view. Sesshomaru had summoned his cloud while Rin rode on AhUn at his side. Neither one had spoken to one another since their brief encounter in the woods. Rin's mind was lost in thought as they made their journey through the sky.

She was soon distracted by what appeared to be fireflies twinkling one by one inside the village. As AhUn flew closer, she realized they were actually torches being lit along the streets. Dusk had made quick work of blanketing the countryside in shadow.

Soon, the rooftops of the village came more easily into view in spite of the impending darkness, thanks to the torchlight. Though these particular buildings didn't seem different from any others she'd seen before, something that did catch her eye was a very large and beautiful shrine erected just to the north of the town. It was multi-tiered and showcased a red, ceramic-tiled roof and was surrounded on all sides by beautiful flowering bushes. The inside seemed to glow with an ethereal light.

Sesshomaru had begun to descend on his cloud, and AhUn followed suit. Rin thought she could see dark forms bustling about the streets before the dragon demon's feet touched solid ground.

In front of the unlikely troupe stood the main entrance, which was a 6-foot wide gap in the stone wall that surrounded the entire perimeter of the village. The only way to distinguish the entrance from the skies was from the red archway erected above it. Though Rin couldn't see much, she could hear the lively chatter of voices and an occasional laugh from inside. It almost sounded like a celebration.

Sesshomaru stared at the entrance. He could see the figures of humans darting back and forth between the gap. He found it odd how lively the town seemed despite the late hour, and more odd still that the village was protected by a wall and yet there were no guards to interrogate them at the entrance. He knew that simply waltzing into this village would draw a lot of unwanted attention; he was a demon, after all. And yet no one paid him any mind as they casually went about their evening. Several pairs of eyes looked in his general direction as they passed by but none became fearful. Well, he supposed he wouldn't give them a reason to fear him unless it was necessary. He began to walk through the entrance despite urgent pleas from Jaken, who floundered clumsily behind him screeching and waving his arms.

"Jaken, stay behind with AhUn," Sesshomaru commanded.

Jaken protested as readily as ever. "But, but mi lord-"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Sesshomaru warned. Jaken stared down at his feet in his usual defeated stance.

"Yes, mi lord," Jaken grumbled as he watched Rin follow behind Sesshomaru.

Rin ignored the hateful looks from Jaken in favor of looking at the village. The sights she saw beyond the walls were truly awe-inspiring.

The fiery light from the torches cast an orange glow over the dirt pathways and buildings, and created hard shadows as people walked by; it made the area seem almost dreamlike. Just a few feet away, some of the villagers began lighting multicolored paper lanterns that were strung across the walkways between buildings, casting pastel lights across the faces of the people as they walked by. The streets themselves were alive with people of all classes and backgrounds. While some of people were dressed plainly, she also saw a group of Monks wearing their traditional robes of purple and black, as well as heavily armored warriors and even extravagantly dressed street performers trying to earn a coin with their stunts. What most caught her interest, however, was a group of noblewomen standing at the corner of two cross streets, talking amongst themselves.

They wore the most exquisite kimonos she had ever seen. Each one must have been crafted of the finest silk, and the colors and patterns were so intricate she could only imagine how long they must have taken to make. One woman boasted a pale lavender kimono with a white vine pattern that began just below the sash, which was white with royal purple trim. The vines cascaded down into an explosion of white and light pink flowers around the base. Another woman was dressed in a more delicate white kimono with a cream and yellow daisy pattern. Rin looked down at her own kimono, which was very dingy and old looking. It's plainness and lack of pattern absolutely screamed peasant's garb. And, she was reminded as the tops of her breasts peered up at her, it was much too big. Rin adjusted her top and tied the sash around her waist a little tighter to keep the fabric in place. She looked away from these women and followed Sesshomaru down a pathway that lead away from them. She found herself thankful for this; her sad state of attire suddenly made her feel embarrassed.

As the duo continued onward, Rin noticed several people glance in Sesshomaru's direction and quickly look away. They didn't look afraid, but they seemed wary of his presence. Despite the mis-matched combination of people around these streets, it was unlikely that they saw demons often. Perhaps he was even the first.

Still, even more eyes seemed to glance at her following not far behind him. A blacksmith forging tools outside of his shop stared as she walked by. A young couple followed her with their eyes even though they were in deep conversation. She even thought she could hear a group of older men whispering as she passed by them, but couldn't make out the words. She turned a curious ear towards them after she passed, and was able to make out the word "strange", though it was barely audible. She wondered...was it the sight of her traveling with a demon that they found strange?

THUMP! The side of Rin's head plodded against a firm surface in front of her. She stumbled back and caught her balance (quite easily this time, she thanked the gods) and quickly faced forward to apologize to whoever she must have bumped into. She found herself unable to speak when her eyes met with that of a tall, husky man who appeared as if he hadn't cleaned himself in years, and didn't smell much better. His stubbly chin wrinkled up with the most terrible scowl she'd ever seen as his deep set eyes stared down at her from behind a furry black brow.

"Watch where you're walkin'," the man grumbled hoarsely. "You wouldn't want to find yerself meetin' with the wrong sort, would yeh?" He let out a mucus-twinged cackle and then spit on the ground next to her feet. Rin took an involuntary step backwards and cringed at the splat of phlegm in the dirt. Her shoulders resounded with another "THUMP!" as she backed into someone else standing behind her. She reeled around to see a slightly shorter, skinnier man with bowed shoulders and the most rotten teeth she'd ever seen as he grinned down at her.

"What's a young thing like you doin' walkin' these streets all by yerself? Don't you know it's...._dangerous_?" The skinny man grinned even wider to show off his receding gum line and crooked teeth that ranged in colors anywhere from yellow to black. Rin backed fearfully away from him and into the belly of the husky man still standing behind her. A pair of over sized, hairy hands clamped down over her shoulders and held her in place as she began to struggle.

'_Where is Lord Sesshomaru?'_ Rin thought in panic as her eyes darted from one onlooker to the next, and realized she must have gotten distracted and fallen behind. She made a queer face as the skinny man licked his lips in a crude fashion, then reached his hand forward to touch her face.

"That's an ugly face for such a pretty girl to make," he sneered as his forefinger barely brushed against her frightened lips.

SLASH! The finger was instantly severed off and sent flying into a basket of rice that a nearby village woman was carrying. The woman's jaw dropped as she tried to distinguish the dark, oozing shape that was now sitting atop her rice. Upon realizing what it was, she threw the basket down and screamed as grains of rice scattered across the street. Moments later, curious street goers began rallying around to see the commotion.

The skinny man looked at the empty space where his finger used to be in disbelief at first, which then transformed into gaping horror as he gripped his bleeding stub and groaned. "WHAT IN THE--"

He stopped mid sentence as he saw a flash of bright green behind his husky companion, who yowled in pain and fell backwards. An undiscerning blur of color dashed in front of Rin, then became still.

The sharp features of Sesshomaru's face were now met with his. "You'll lose a lot more than a finger if you don't get out of my sight. NOW."

The skinny man was at a loss for words. He backed away towards the crowd of people behind him, who watched the scene curiously but with great caution as they eyed the skinny man's bleeding stump and the grumbling fat man laying on the ground. The skinny man watched as his friend began to sit up, with one hand holding a deep lash wound on his backside. Sesshomaru turned his attention to him next.

"Go join your wretch of a friend. You're lucky to still be breathing."

The husky man winced in pain as he slowly stood up and looked down at his hand, which was now covered in blood. He muttered something under his breath and began limping towards his rotten-toothed friend, but not before casting a nasty look at Rin, who stood behind Sesshomaru in awed silence. His look almost seemed to say, "This isn't over yet."

The husky man joined his nine-fingered companion and gave him a sore look. He glanced over his shoulder at Sesshomaru briefly and shook his head, still in shock over what had just happened. The onlookers began murmuring amongst themselves, looking at one another in confusion. Would these two disgusting men retaliate, or simply run with their tails between their legs?

The two men whispered to each other, and gave one final look before turning to leave. The people became more restless as they watched them saunter off. Then, several of the people began to cheer and clap. More joined them as they celebrated the riddance of the two scoundrels. Apparently, these two were widely disliked in the village.

Sesshomaru ignored their applause and turned to face Rin. "Why did you fall so far behind me?" he questioned her sharply.

Rin's eyes were swimming as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. I was distracted."

Though his expression remained blank, his eyes were teeming with a sort of ferocity that Rin had not witnessed before. But slowly, as a few seconds went by, they dulled to their usual calm as he stared into her eyes. It was obvious to him that she was trying with all her power not to cry.

"Be mindful, Rin," he said at last. "Your transformation does not come without consequences. Now let's go." He then extended his hand to her, just as he had when he'd helped her onto his cloud. Rin stared at his hand with hesitance, but then reached forward and allowed him to take her hand into his own. Without another word, he began to move hurriedly forward. Rin had no choice but to follow. The crowd had begun to disperse behind them as they walked on.

Sesshomaru's mind raced as he continued his search for someone of authority within the village. '_How foolish of me to think those of her own kind would not take notice of her,' _he thought. '_She has become a trophy for pigs like them. And her mind remains so much like a child's...I must keep a closer eye on her." _

A man's voice calling behind him caused his hands to tense. Rin made an uncomfortable squeak, but he didn't loosen his grip until he turned to see that the man calling to him was dressed in monk's clothes.

The monk ran up to him rather unceremoniously as he begged for Sesshomaru to wait. He was panting lightly as he approached, and stopped a moment to catch his breath before continuing on. "Sir...I apologize for intruding like this. But I must ask you, why did you not kill those men back there?"

Sesshomaru kept a firm grip on Rin's hand as he spoke. He seemed put off by the monk's question. "What a curious question for a religious man to ask. Did you _want _ me to kill them?"

The monk gave a smile and waved off his question. "Forgive my rudeness. I only ask because it is obvious to me that you wield great power and yet you chose not to kill them."

Sesshomaru stood silent for a moment before acknowledging the monk's observation. "Had I not been seeking aid from this village, they would long since be departed from this world" he said. "But I currently have more important matters to attend to, matters that concern my...companion."

The monk's attention shifted from Sesshomaru to Rin. Rin squeezed Sesshomaru's hand involuntarily as he gazed at her. He was relatively young man, and handsome at that, with chiseled features, soulful eyes and a confident stance. But there was something disconcerting about his smile.

Sesshomaru was growing impatient. "If you have no assistance to offer, then I have no further business with you."

The monk laughed. "Aren't you curious as to why no one is protecting this village? There were no guards to greet you, and as a monk should I not be obligated to banish you, a demon, from existence? Such a flagrant display of power, as well. You are obviously quite dangerous to the rest of the villagers--" the monk raised an instinctive hand as he watched Sesshomaru release Rin's hand in favor of reaching for his sword handle instead. "Oh don't worry, I have no intentions of fighting you."

Sesshomaru made no motions to retract his hand from the sword. "I'm not worried. I only ask that you get to the point."

The monk only continued to smile wider. "This village...it does not _require _protection. Not anymore. Not since the Miko Mitchitsuna has taken residence here."

Sesshomaru loosened his grip around the sword handle. This was now an encounter that was worthy of his time. "She is the Priestess of this village, then..." He recalled the shrine to the north of the village and assumed that's where she must be. "How can a single Priestess so readily protect a village of this size, especially when she isn't present?"

The monk chuckled and the number of teeth in his head seemed to double as he spread his smile wider still. Rin thought Sesshomaru may strike him down simply because of his arrogance, but he did not. "She is no ordinary Priestess. She is very powerful. So powerful in fact, that people travel long distances to receive aid from her. She is a miracle worker of sorts. She can exorcise the strongest of demons. She has given sight to the blind. She has been able to extract life-threatening illnesses from the body through will alone, without the aid of any medicines. She can even bring people back the dead. So you see, it matters not whether your intentions here are good or bad. Lady Mitchitsuna can right all wrongs. That is why you see so many different people here in the village. Many of them are travelers that have come for her aid and are passing the time before returning home."

Sesshomaru wasn't convinced. "If what you say is true, then why did she not stop me from maiming those men?"

The monk gave a hearty chuckle, as if this was the most ridiculous question he had ever heard. "If those men had not deserved it, no harm would have befallen them. Truthfully, the village is in your debt for what you did. Their presence here has been very unsettling to the people."

Sesshomaru had heard enough. Though he still doubted this Priestess was as powerful as the monk claimed, she was his best hope for curing Rin. However, he was finding it increasingly difficult to conceal his apparent dislike for this monk, who smiled idiotically as he talked of the Miko's exploits as if they were his own. Sesshomaru thought it was best to see the Priestess as soon as possible, and hopefully forgo any further contact with the monk. "Then I ask that you lead us to this Lady Mitchitsuna at once."

The monk waved him off again as if to mock his impatience. "You demand so much, mighty demon! It is getting late, would you not prefer to stay a night here and see the Lady in the morning?"

Sesshomaru did not look pleased with the invitation. "I have no desire to stay here any longer than I must. Lead us to this Miko, or we shall test just how powerful her spiritual protection really is."

For the first time, the smile was wiped off of the monk's face. "It is not your place to make threats, demon. You should consider yourself lucky to still be standing here. I only offer my hospitality out of gratitude. But if you reveal yourself as a bigger menace than those men, then I have no choice but to exterminate you on account of Lady Mitchitsuna herself. Think of the future of your little friend, there. Is that really the path you wish to follow?"

Sesshomaru turned to Rin and motioned for her to step back. She did so unwillingly, but knew was no arguing with him. He regarded the monk with his usual indifference as he drew the Tokijin. If the monk would not lead him to the Priestess, he would bring her to him. And if she did not have the spiritual power to aid the monk, he would know she was a fraud and there would be one less arrogant fool standing in his way.

A nearby spectator shrieked as Sesshomaru lashed his sword at the monk. It was an effortless move that would easily slice into his human flesh; but his sword was met with a strong barrier that now stood between them.

"Enough," a woman's voice said. Sesshomaru cocked his head towards the voice and saw a woman in a vibrant red silk kimono approaching them. She was young, but well into adulthood, perhaps in her early 30's. She wore her hair back with a red silk ribbon and was decently beautiful, though she wore a stern face as she made her way towards two men. The monk motioned for something in his robes, but the woman raised a hand and shook her head, as if to say "no." She came stand a few feet away from them before speaking.

"I dare say you've caused quite a stir in our village," the woman said almost humorously, though her face still looked stern, almost as if she was reprimanding a child. "Pray tell, what business do you seek in this village, demon?"

Sesshomaru did not care for her demeanor one bit. "Why should I tell you? I seek business with the Priestess, and the Priestess only."

The woman smirked and raised an amused eyebrow. "I _am _the Priestess. My name is Lady Mitchitsuna."


	8. A Night at the Shrine

Chapter Eight - A Night at the Shrine

**Author's Note: I apologize again for taking so long to update. Life likes to throw in some interesting surprises sometimes :P

I do not own Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru eyed this woman suspiciously. If she really was the Priestess, she certainly wasn't dressed for the part. "Why are you not wearing the robes of a Priestess, if you are who you say you are?"

Mitchitsuna's stern features transitioned to a playful smile. Her mannerisms were becoming more and more like the monk's. Sesshomaru didn't like it. The way she carried herself didn't seem becoming of a Miko, of that he was certain.

Mitchitsuna paid no mind to his apparent distrust."Really, shouldn't you be asking me more important questions? You must have a good reason to see me, especially if you're willing to threaten my monk's life in the process." Those words again: "My monk." He wondered why she kept referring to the monk as "her monk", as if he was a possession, but it was no business of his. He did indeed have more important questions to ask.

Sesshomaru sheathed his sword, and the barrier dissipated. The monk wore an ugly expression as he kept his eyes fixed on Sesshomaru. He was obviously expecting a sneak attack. Sesshomaru chose to ignore him; the monk was no longer a concern of his. He shifted his full attention to this so-called Priestess instead. "It was not my intention to face off with "your monk", but his hesitance to take me to you left me with no choice but to draw you to me. So it would seem your powers to detect danger are more astute than I presumed."

The monk looked baffled, though Sesshomaru didn't see it. Rin did, though, and watched as the monk gaped wide-eyed at Sesshomaru, then turned to look at Lady Mitchitsuna. He looked outright offended at Sesshomaru's words, yet the Miko's face didn't show any signs of offense. In fact, the Miko didn't seem to be paying much attention to Sesshomaru at all. Her eyes seemed to be looking right through him--

"Who is that girl standing behind you?" Lady Mitchitsuna inquired. Now it was Sesshomaru's turn to be taken aback. Had she just _ignored_ him?

Rin stepped out from behind Sesshomaru for the first time since the monk had first made his appearance. Before matters got any worse, she thought it might be more helpful if she pleaded her own case before the Priestess. Sesshomaru meant well, but in this situation, her powers of charisma might win over his power to intimidate. She bowed respectfully before the Priestess before introducing herself. "Hello, Lady Mitchitsuna. My name is Rin. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sesshomaru reached out his hand in an effort to pull Rin back, but stopped himself when he witnessed the Miko's strong reaction to Rin's greeting. "Oh, what a simply charming young lady!" the Miko clapped her hands in delight. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Rin. You obviously didn't get your manners from _this _gentleman, did you?" the Priestess made a gesture towards Sesshomaru and Rin smiled.

"My lord is very worried about me, my lady," Rin explained in her most innocent tone. "I've been cursed by a very strong demon. He only wants me to get better."

Lady Mitchitsuna seemed enthralled by Rin's explanation and giggled at how simple it was. "So, you're telling me that this demon is your lord, and he is worried about you because of a curse? Perhaps that might explain his curtness."

Sesshomaru was stunned. This Miko was completely ignoring him and treating him like he wasn't even there. Him, the most powerful demon of the Western Lands. And yet she seemed so fascinated with Rin who was a mere human, and just a child despite her outward appearance. Though he would ordinarily force his presence to be known with his sword, it dawned on him that Rin might be better able to persuade her than he. So he simply stood and watched the spectacle before him, allowing the events unfold. He would only intervene if it was necessary.

"Well then, Rin. If I am to help you, I'll have to get a good look at you first, hmm?" Lady Mitchitsuna approached Rin and reached towards her face. The monk, who had been watching the palaver between the two in silence, made a motion to stop the Priestess. After all, the last person he saw try to touch that girl was now missing a finger. But Sesshomaru didn't flinch as Mitchitsuna examined Rin's face with her hands. Rin remained motionless as the hands touched her forehead, then her cheeks. The hands came to rest on her shoulders, which made Rin a little nervous as it reminded her of the husky man who had restrained her before. But Mitchitsuna didn't seem to notice as she closed her eyes in concentration.

"Tell me," the Priestess said, her brow furrowed in deep thought. "What sort of curse did this demon put on you?"

Rin answered her somewhat timidly as she tried to search for the right words. "Well, umm...you see, I'm not as old as I look. In fact, I'm only seven years old."

The words stung Sesshomaru's ears. Until now, there hadn't been a spoken testament of just how young she really was. But it was better that he_ was _reminded, to reaffirm his desire to cure her. Though he had difficulty accepting it, his impatience in turning her back was due largely in part to the fear that the longer they waited, the more he might not _want_ her to be changed back. And that was simply unacceptable.

Lady Mitchitsuna was awestruck by Rin's words and didn't seem to try very hard to conceal her surprise. Sesshomaru took notice of this immediately. So did the monk, though he remained silent.

"So, onto those important questions I must ask you," Sesshomaru said. "Now that you know her ailment, can it be reversed?"

The Priestess stood gaping as the color was drained from her face, but then shook her head as if coming out of a daze and nodded weakly. "Y-yes, yes of course it can."

"You don't sound so sure," Sesshomaru remarked. "Is this task out of your realm, or is it not?"

The Priestess broke her gaze on Rin to cast Sesshomaru an angry look. "Yes, you impertinent demon! I said _yes..._but my spiritual powers have been exhausted for the day." Her eyes darted towards the monk for but a moment then turned back to Sesshomaru. The monk, seeming to understand her cue, quickly walked to her side and took her hand in his.

"Oh yes, my lady. I tried to tell this demon to wait until the morning but he simply would not hear of it. My poor lady, you must be very tired after all of your trials today." The Priestess leaned on the monk for support and rose a weary hand to her forehead. Sesshomaru thought it looked staged. Just what was this "Priestess" hiding?

"This matter cannot wait until morning," Sesshomaru said. "Just what sort of trials would exhaust such a supposedly "powerful" Miko?"

"Do you want her help, or not?" the monk snarled. Sesshomaru took note of the drastic change in the monk's demeanor. So much for the happy-go-lucky act.

The Miko's face looked drained of energy as she regarded Sesshomaru once more. "Really, demon--"

"Sesshomaru," Rin interrupted her. "His name is Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru didn't stifle his surprise as he looked at Rin. So, she was defending his honor as a demon lord, was she? Though he didn't smile, he felt a certain pride at her quickness to defend him. If the situation was a bit different, there would be no question in the minds of these two suspicious mortals that he was a powerful lord. But it pleased him nonetheless to witness her loyalty to him.

Mitchitsuna's eyes darted from Rin to Sesshomaru as she recollected her thoughts. "--_Lord Sesshomaru._ There is no harm in waiting until the morning. The curse on Rin is a strong one, and it will require a great deal of power. If you want my help, I suggest you wait until the morning. Or would you prefer I risk her personal safety at the expense of only a few hours time?"

Rin looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru. Her large, almond-colored eyes seemed to plead with him, _"wait until morning"._ He swallowed hard as he stared at her. Aside from expressing his anger at having almost lost her earlier, he had been making it a point to not make direct eye contact. But now that he did, he found himself almost helpless to argue against her. Her eyes were so innocent, so beautiful-- "_Helpless." _This was not a word he would commonly use to describe himself.

Sesshomaru turned his back on Rin, partly out of frustration, and partly to escape the strange feeling forming in his chest. His decision had been made for him. "No, I do not wish to risk her safety. Very well then. We shall wait until morning. I am curious to see these "powers"of yours in action."

His words were intended as a jab at the Priestess, whom he still did not entirely trust. But, he reminded himself, she was the best chance he had. Mitchitsuna made a sour face, but said nothing in response. Sesshomaru didn't see it nor did he care. Now he wanted a moment to himself, a moment to collect himself before tomorrow morning's events. A moment to erase Rin's womanish features out of his mind and remind himself that this was indeed for the best.

But that moment was not yet to come.

Lady Mitchitsuna turned her attention to Rin, who was still looking over her shoulder at Sesshomaru. She seemed to be lost in a trance. The Miko observed Rin's behavior towards him. '_She does seem quite taken with him, doesn't she?' _she thought. Rin's signs were easy to read. The way she defended him, the way she _looked_ at him now. And the fact that she seemed so eager to wait until the morning to be transformed back into her prior self...almost as if she was stalling for time. The Miko thought she understood quite clearly what Rin's true desires were; she didn't _want _to be transformed back.

_ 'But what of the demon, this "Lord Sesshomaru"?'_ Mitchitsuna pondered as she peered at Sesshomaru, who still had his back turned on her and Rin. Indeed, he was much more difficult to read, and quite a cantankerous cuss at that. She found the pairing quite odd, this cold demon and this sweet, naïve child. But that must mean there was something about Rin that compelled him to keep her company. He seemed almost too eager to transform her back...was it denial? It was difficult to say. But Mitchitsuna thought it was so.

Mitchitsuna smiled to herself as she took Rin's chin softly in her hand and turned it to face her. "Well then, dear Rin. You look like you haven't eaten in some time. Before I retire, I would be honored if you and your Lord had a meal with me-"

Sesshomaru turned sharply to face her even before she finished her sentence. "No. We decline your offer. We will meet you here tomorrow-"

"Now, that's not very polite, is it?" Mitchitsuna interrupted, her fingers still gripping Rin's chin. Rin looked stymied but didn't show any signs of discomfort. "You speak for Rin as if she has no wishes of her own. Why don't you let her decide?"

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He was literally rendered speechless. As much as he wanted to protest, he knew she was right. He didn't even remember the last time Rin had a full meal. Because he did not need to eat nearly as often as humans, he often forgot Rin's needs. Cursed Priestess. It was almost as if she was trying to force them to stay in the village.

Mitchitsuna withdrew her hand from Rin's face and gave her an assuring look. Rin swallowed before speaking in a hushed voice.

"What...what sort of food do you have?"

The Miko smiled gently. "Oh, we have the basics, nothing fancy. Rice balls, three varieties of soup and five or more types of fish, steamed squid, noodles..." the Priestess allowed her voice to trail off and didn't look surprised as Rin involuntarily licked her lips.

Rin looked at Sesshomaru once more. He immediately regretted turning to face her again.

"Lord Sesshomaru...would it be all right? I mean, if you didn't mind? I'm...I'm really hungry..."

Those pleading eyes again. He was beginning to think they'd haunt him forever.

"Fine. You should replenish your strength. After that, we leave."

Mitchitsuna beamed with a large smile. The monk raised the corner of his mouth in a feeble attempt at a smile. Sesshomaru found it somewhat comical how easily the monk had smiled before, but now it was forced, contrived. He doubted the monk was thrilled to be sharing a meal with the demon who tried to kill him moments ago.

"Splendid!" the Priestess proclaimed. "We shall dine together in the shrine. Of course, it will take some time to prepare. Rin, won't you accompany me for a bit? I would like to learn more of how this "curse" came to be. Ryoma," she addressed the monk by his name for the first time, "would mind escorting our "friend" to the main hall?"

Ryoma looked surprised as his eyes darted from the Miko to Sesshomaru, who was undoubtedly _not _his friend. "Oh, but...but My Lady-"

Sesshomaru interrupted him. "I have no interest in spending more time than what is necessary with this monk." Ryoma nodded in agreement.

"I see," Lady Mitchitsuna said, disappointed. "Well in that case, I'm sure the villagers have many questions they'd like to ask you. Feel free to spend some time with them, I will have Ryoma alert you when dinner is ready."

Sesshomaru looked around him and saw a mob of onlookers that had probably been circled around him this entire time, he simply hadn't cared to notice. Among the faces in the crowd were a couple of street performers he had seen earlier with their faces dripping with sweat and runny makeup as they stared him down, as well as several very plump, unpleasant-looking women eying him as if he was their next meal. A baby that was being held by its mother released its bowels into its cloth diaper right at that moment. The stench was overpowering to his demon senses.

"Show me the main hall," Sesshomaru said with an air of repugnance before turning away from the crowd.

Mitchitsuna nodded to Ryoma, who sighed and rolled his eyes in defeat. "This way, then," he said non-emphatically as he gestured towards the shrine. Sesshomaru seemed to ignore him completely as he walked past him in the direction of the shrine. Ryoma looked more relieved by this than offended, and followed several steps behind him. The two were a good distance away before Mitchitsuna invited Rin to accompany her.

"Well then, child," the Miko regarded Rin with a pleasant tone, "since you are my guest tonight, I think it's only fitting that I help you get gussied up for dinner, hmm?"

Rin tilted her head much like a puppy, not understanding the Miko's words. "Gussied...up?" she repeated slowly, narrowing her eyes in confusion. Her perplexed expression was replaced by that of surprise as lady Mitchitsuna grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the shrine, out of earshot of the two men ahead.

"You'll understand soon. It will be fun, I promise." Rin walked hurriedly to keep up with the Miko's steps and decided it was better to not ask questions. Lady Mitchitsuna was obviously in a hurry, though she didn't understand why.

As Lady Mitchitsuna lead Rin by the hand, she allowed her smile to momentarily slip into that of a concerned frown. '_If only I had a moment to myself, a moment to think!'_ she sighed. As the window to her private quarters in the shrine came into view, she only hoped that her plan would work. She quickly re-donned her mask and grinned back at Rin, who was plodding clumsily behind her in an effort to keep up with her. "My private quarters are just ahead," Lady Mitchitsuna said reassuringly. _'Of __course the plan will work,'_ a corner of Mitchitsuna's conscience responded to her self-doubting thoughts, '_It's only a matter a matter of time.'_


	9. A Vision of Loveliness

** Author's Note:

This update took a lot longer than expected, but it's a really long one to make up for it :). Also I took some liberties with the Japanese food and dining mentioned in this chapter, I only have a basic knowledge of Japanese cuisine and dining etiquette (especially back in the feudal era!) so my apologies if it isn't completely accurate.

I do not own InuYasha.

Chapter Nine – A Vision of Loveliness

Rin was spellbound by the Miko's private quarters. Well, not with the room itself (which was modest in comparison to the ornate exterior), but with all the trinkets and niceties contained within it. The open space was teeming with impressive, expensive-looking things: a nine-foot tall boudoir made of fine wood, an elegant area rug, a shoji screen decorated with calligraphy flowers, large wall scrolls, embroidered floor cushions, a full-length mirrored, even boxes of paddy rice. What surprised Rin the most, however, was not the things themselves, but with the manner in which they were presented; they were all haphazardly strewn about the room as if they were junk. If not for the fact that everything was so expensive-looking, one might mistake the priestess for a pack rat. Mitchitsuna smiled wryly at Rin's gaping eyes and began addressing items in the room as if they weren't really a big deal.

"Ah, those wall scrolls, they were given to me by a group of monks after extracting poison from one of them," she said. "And rice is pretty commonly given to me for minor exorcisms and things of that sort. I could probably feed ten villages with it." Mitchitsuna slowly worked her way over to the boudoir as she spoke, moving aside random books and discarded bobbles with her feet as she made a path for Rin, who followed behind her wide-eyed and unaware of all the obstacles in front of her. "Oh and there are always jewels, I keep those locked away for safe keeping. They're given to me more so by admirers than for specific deeds," the priestess boasted. "But I think what you'll find in here will be more of interest to you."

Mitchitsuna now stood in front of the boudoir, which towered over her like a sort of magnificent edifice. Rin's attention was now also on the boudoir. Coming from a background of poor villagers, she had never seen one before. She could only guess what lay inside...ancient magic of some sort? Religious tools?

The Miko threw open the doors with a quick "swish!" of her hands, and Rin was surprised to see not magic or tools, but neatly folded fabrics of vibrant color piled in stacks on the many shelves inside.

Mitchitsuna withdrew one of the folded up bundles of fabric and allowed it to unroll from her hands to reveal a beautiful silk kimono.

"Oh!" Rin exclaimed as her hands were immediately drawn to the cool surface of the fabric. She traced the floral patterns with her forefinger and smiled to herself as she enjoyed the sensation of silk on her skin for the first time. "There were women in the village wearing kimonos just like this!" she said as she watched the light dance across the folds.

"Yes," Mitchitsuna said. "It seems there are a lot of noblewomen in this region that get targeted by demons. They give me their finest kimonos in exchange for my services. Exorcisms, mostly." Mitchitsuna allowed Rin to play with the fabric awhile longer before prompting her with a question. "Would you like to wear one to dinner tonight?"

Rin's hands froze and her mouth dropped. "Really? I could wear one of these?"

The Miko smiled enthusiastically. "Of course. As I said, you are my guest! And to be frank with you, dear, the one you're wearing now doesn't do you any justice. Oh, it's all right," she said in response to the embarrassed frown Rin wore now. "I don't know _where _you got that frock, but I'm sure it wasn't your first choice. No worries. We'll find you something that will make that pretty face even prettier. Now then, let's see..." Mitchitsuna began rummaging through the different piles, searching for the right color. She began tossing out bundles of fabric that didn't strike her as being "the one", as if they were common peasants' clothes. Rin stared in disbelief as the pile of discarded kimonos seemed to grow exponentially behind the Miko as she muttered to herself.

"Hmmm, no, not green, wouldn't look right with her skin tone...purple? Maybe...red would be too distracting..."

Rin was performing her own visual search at the same time. Deep blue? Pale yellow? Her eyes scanned the many shelves as more and more kimonos seemed to disappear by Mitchitsuna's hand. When suddenly, she saw the perfect one.

"Stop!" Rin shouted and waved her hands. Mitchitsuna did indeed stop, and followed Rin with her eyes as she approached the shelves and stood on her tip-toes to reach the kimono that captured her interest. She withdrew the kimono, and allowed it to unfold in her hands to reveal the rest of its secrets.

It was breathtaking. The base color was an alluring sunset-orange, though it was practically exploding with white, pink and red flowers of different varieties (Rin recognized lilies and orchids), and it also had accents of deep crimson interwoven throughout. The obi was a delicate pink much like some of the flowers in the pattern, with a top border that was also the same shade of crimson. The interworkings of all the colors gave it appeal in all aspects. It was light, delicate and feminine, but also vibrant, bold and a bit sassy. Mitchitsuna looked at it, stunned.

"Oh, my. Rin, it's perfect. It is really perfect." Mitchitsuna took the kimono from Rin's hands and held it up to her body, observing the colors next to Rin's face. It brought out the blackness of her already thick lashes, and made her pale skin look like white gold next to it.

"My, you do have good taste," Mitchitsuna said with a smile. "Now then, would you like to put it on?"

Rin couldn't stifle a huge ear-to-ear grin as she nodded. "Oh, yes please," she managed to say through her teeth.

Mitchitsuna laid the kimono in Rin's arms and motioned to the shoji screen in the corner of the room. "You can get changed behind there. Call me if you need help getting it on."

Rin gave a unintentional giggle as she practically tripped over piles of stuff to get to the shoji screen. In the mean time, Mitchitsuna meandered over to a small makeup box and opened up one of the drawers. She cast her eyes over its contents and thought to herself. _'Hmm...now we need the perfect shade of color for her lips...'_

Meanwhile, in the main hall where dinner was to commence, Sesshomaru was having a far less enthralling time with his present company. Ryoma stood with his arms folded like a somber statue in the corner of the room as a dozen servants buzzed about like worker bees, setting pillows around a long dining table and placing table settings around where people would be sitting. Candles and freshly cut orchids were also set for ambiance. Curious faces glanced at Sesshomaru whenever they passed him. Sesshomaru, naturally, ignored them.

Ryoma cleared his throat before finally speaking to Sesshomaru since they had arrived. "I'm sure my lady would be disappointed if I didn't ask. What sort of items would you like for dinner? You know, so I can have our chef prepare it to _your_ liking."

Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I do not eat human food."

Ryoma rolled his eyes. "Of course not." He stared absentmindedly at the table while it was being set for a few moments, before curiosity got the better of him. "What _do _you eat, then?"

Sesshomaru didn't seem very open to the question. "It's none of your business."

Ryoma gave a mock-laugh, and shot Sesshomaru a sort of "_are-you-KIDDING-me?_" look before facing forward again. "Really? None of my business, hmm? What, do you have special concoctions of magic and dragon dust that won't upset your superior demon stomach or some-"

"When I am in my natural form, I eat annoying pests like you." Sesshomaru answered.

Ryoma stopped himself from commenting any further.

Sesshomaru, having successfully thwarted any more attempts by Ryoma to make conversation, returned back to his own thoughts. _'This is not going at all as I had planned,' _he thought, frustrated. _'This was supposed to be a quick, simple fix. Yet here I am, in a room surrounded by idiot mortals, who are preparing a feast I have no intentions of eating, and all for-'_ he stopped mid-thought though he already knew what the final word would be _'-her.'_

Yes, her. The silly mortal girl that had been in tow with him ever since he rescued her from the wolves.

Before he had found her, he never would have imagined being in a setting like this. He had never before been in a place like this, unless his sword was drawn and the smell of blood was thick in the air from his recently slain victims. And yet here he was, somehow tolerating the presence of a monk he couldn't stand, surrounded by a town full of filthy vermin, and even withstanding verbal jabs from a woman who didn't seem entirely honest. Had he become soft?

Soft. He suddenly remembered how soft Rin's cheek was. Soft like her small, milky white hands. Soft like the sweet-smelling strands of her hair-

_'It will be such a relief to stop thinking about such nonsense,'_ he decided as the servants made their final touches to dining table.

"Sir, the table is ready," a servant woman whispered to Ryoma before disappearing from the room.

"Fantastic!" the monk said with an exaggerated air about him as he clapped his hands together in mock enthusiasm, causing a loud echo to reverberate off the walls. Despite being a clean and well-lit room, there weren't very many furnishings here to absorb the sound. It broke Sesshomaru's concentration. "Well then," Ryoma regarded Sesshomaru hesitantly, "would you be seated at the head of the table? Or are you too "good" to sit with mortals?"

Sesshomaru didn't bother to answer, but took his place at the head of the table and sat on the pillow that had been placed on the floor.

The monk, still holding his hands together, seemed glad enough that there wasn't a fuss. "Good. I'll go check on the food. I'm sure my lady and your "partner" will be here shortly." He exited the room in a hurry. Sesshomaru thought perhaps he wouldn't bother to return at all.

The troubled demon looked at the place settings on the table. For this meal being "nothing fancy", the servants certainly spared no efforts in making it look regal. Each setting included an intricately designed dinner plate with floral etchings on them, two matching bowls of white rice and miso soup, two smaller bowls for dipping, a set of expensive-looking ceramic chopsticks, a soup spoon and a finely-woven bamboo mat. A larger tray sat in the middle of the table, probably for tea. The candles and flowers added a touch of elegance as well. He found it odd how mortals tried to disguise the undignified act of eating with decorated instruments and meaningless ritual.

Just then, a line of servants burst through the door to the front of the room with large, steaming plates of food. Ryoma brought up the rear of the line, and made his presence known with another loud, resounding clap.

"Well then, dinner is served!" he said, then added under his breath, "Not that you care."

The servants took turns setting serving plates and bowls onto the table, and had some trouble working around the vases and lit candles. A woman brought a pot of hot tea and four cups and set them on the big tray at the center of the table. Ryoma took his seat at the opposite end of the table while the servants finished their tasks.

When the last of the servants had retreated from the room, an eery silence took their place. With nothing going on, Sesshomaru watched boredly as tendrils of steam rose from the many plates of food, partially obscuring a clear view of the person at the opposite end of the table. Since that person was currently Ryoma, he didn't mind in the least.

Ryoma eyed the many food items hungrily; tonight's menu showcased grilled salmon, sliced beef, steamed mushrooms, pickled vegetables, chilled noodles and seaweed wrapped riceballs. It was above and beyond what was necessary, but the monk surmised that his Miko consort enjoyed showing off, especially in front of a demon. He almost couldn't wait to eat. The noodles were calling to him the most, but he didn't dare touch a thing until Lady Mitchitsuna was present. '_Where IS Lady Mitchitsuna?'_ he wondered. _'I grow weary of this demon's company...and what exactly is she hoping to accomplish with all of this, anyway?'_

As if reading his thoughts, Lady Mitchitsuna entered the room on cue from the hallway. The sound of softly plodding footsteps in the distance suggested that Rin was not far behind."Well well, it looks like we've arrived at just the right time," the Miko said in her usual over-exuberant manner, and wasted no time taking a seat between her two dinner guests at the far side of the table. "My, what a feast! Even better than what I was expecting- oh, Rin dear. You can come in, don't be shy."

Rin emerged from the hallway, albeit timidly, and stepped into the light from the oil lanterns hanging overhead. Upon seeing Sesshomaru sitting at the table, she folded her hands in front of her and gave a coy smile before bowing. "Good evening," she said with lowered eyes.

For a brief moment, Sesshomaru's eyes widened like dinner plates inside of his skull and his lips parted as if he would sigh-but he quickly regained his composure by clearing his throat and he returned the girl's greeting with his own. "Good evening," he responded. His own voice sounded foreign to him as he uttered the phrase.

_''I never would have expected this,' _Sesshomaru thought as he stared at her. _'I can't even begin to think of the words to describe...how beautiful she appears...' _And how beautiful she was! The plainness of the kimono she wore before had merely stifled her looks until now. Never did Sesshomaru think she could appear any more alluring to him than she already did, but the way the this fine silk kimono made her skin radiate, she had almost a glow about her. And her hair, which he had only ever witnessed laying flat against her shoulders (save for one childish ponytail), was now combed back into a loose yet elegant bun that showed off her slender neck. The left side of her hair was adorned with a decorative comb of red and orange flowers. Her lips had been stained a vivid crimson, making her already porcelain skin seem even more pale. Her deep black lashes appeared even longer and more rich against her cheeks, which had the faintest hue of pink added to them. She was truly breathtaking, a vision of loveliness that some men may only imagine in their wildest dreams. And yet here she stood, just a heartbeat away. Perfect, doll-like, and wholly unobtainable.

Mitchitsuna smiled to herself before offering the seat across from her to Rin. It had only been an instant, a_ flash_ even, but she was positive she saw her demon guest's hard demeanor slip.

Rin walked to the table slowly and took the last remaining seat, which was positioned across from Mitchitsuna and in between Ryoma and Sesshomaru. Upon seeing the heaping mounds of food, her eyes lit up with ravenous joy and she looked as though she may start screaming – a cold look from Mitchitsuna told her this would not be appropriate behavior, however, and Rin nodded to express that she understood. She merely placed her hands in her lap and cast her gaze downwards; Mitchitsuna had explained that this posture would prompt Sesshomaru to admire her new kimono.

He admired it, to be sure. Though his eyes seemed fixed on the plate of steamed mushrooms in front of him, his peripheral vision granted him the pleasure of seeing her new ensemble close up. The silk material ebbed over her thin frame like a waterfall of rich color, and the way the light played on the folds made it shimmer like a magnificent jewel. The kimono gave way into the pale flesh of her neck, which he had almost completely ignored until tonight, and beckoned his eyes more than once as he tried to maintain his forward gaze. And god, her scent...it seemed magnified somehow. It overpowered all other scents in the room, even despite the buffet of food mere inches from his breathed her scent in deeply, but slowly, so no one else would notice. He was beginning to feel almost drunk from it. His eyes involuntarily fluttered shut.

Rin, who had remained motionless for several minutes, peeked over at her demon caretaker. His eyes were closed, and he seemed completely oblivious to her. Puzzled, she addressed him, despite Lady Mitchitsuna telling her before dinner to not speak to him directly. "Just be quiet and let him look at you," she had said. "It's important not to distract him from all of our hard work."

"Mi lord...do you like my new kimono?" Rin asked. Immediately, his eyes bolted open, and he turned his head to look at her directly. Her brown eyes regarded him eagerly as she waited for his approval. Her deep black eyelashes gave her eyes an exotic appeal. A combination of her eyes and that intoxicating scent made Sesshomaru quickly look away; he didn't bother to answer her question.

Mitchitsuna looked frazzled as she tried to interpret Sesshomaru's body language. Was he trying that hard to avoid the girl? "Are you feeling quite well?" she asked.

"This human food...the smell is nauseating," he said as he stared at the floor. It was a lie of course, but a good one.

Mitchitsuna seemed to experience both a wave of panic and a dawning of realization at the same time as she clapped her hands to summon her servants. "My apologies. I did not realize you were unable to dine with us. Here, I will have the servants clear the food away." The servants emerged a few moments later, exchanging confused glances as they saw that only Ryoma's plate had food on it while the others remained spotless.

Rin's posture sank as the servants began to move towards the delicious mounds of food they had placed on the dining table only moments before. Ryoma mirrored Rin's apparent disappointment tenfold; his jaw seemed to drop all the way to the table as pair of servant's hands grabbed the plate of noodles he had just started eating. Rin bit her lip and stared down at the table, defeated.

Sesshomaru's gaze shifted from Rin's look of disappointment to the priestess. He made a motion with his hand, which came across much more eager than he'd intended. "Don't be absurd," his words stung the air. "The only reason we're here is so that she may eat and be in good condition for your ritual. I will...tolerate it for now."

The servants looked to one another and then at Lady Mitchitsuna, awaiting her instructions. The priestess seemed hesitant to meet his request, and made a wry face as she motioned to the servants to set the food back down and leave the room. They scurried off like frightened mice, as if they had done something wrong. The Priestess, however, smiled at that moment, seeming to forget her annoyance as she regarded Sesshomaru warmly. "As you wish." Her attention then shifted to a despondent Rin, who seemed to perk up only slightly as the Priestess gestured to the food. "Please, help yourself."

Rin returned her gesture with a meager smile. Though she was ravenous, her disappointment was attributed mostly to the fact that Sesshomaru didn't seem to notice her kimono, or the pretty makeup that Mithcitsuna had spend a great deal of time putting on her. Oh, well. It wouldn't matter for long, anyway. In a few hours time, she would be back to her normal self. For reasons she still didn't fully understand, she found herself dreading that moment the closer it got.

She sighed to herself and picked up the ceramic chopsticks next to her plate. She served herself a generous helping of the vegetables and a few slices of salmon, since they were the closest to her. She was going to take some noodles, but it looked like Ryoma was already swallowing the last ones whole. The threat of the noodles being taken away must have motivated him to eat them as fast as possible. The Priestess narrowed her eyes at him as he did so, and he gave a nervous chuckle after the lump disappeared down his throat. "My apologies,the noodles are my favorite."

Rin smiled at him politely and eyed the remaining plates of food spread across the table. She spotted the rice balls on a plate on the far side of the table, closest to Sesshomaru. She was about to speak, but Lady Mitchitsuna seemed to be shaking her head "no". Rin couldn't help feeling that the priestess was watching every move she made. Rin decided to ignore her for now, though her scrutiny was starting to make her nervous.

Rin straightened her posture and cleared her throat to get her demon caretaker's attention. "My lord, could I have some rice balls please?"

Sesshomaru shot his eyes at her for a brief moment and then hastily returned them to whatever it was he'd been staring at for the duration of the meal. His empty teacup, perhaps? He barely noticed. His concentration was fixed solely on ignoring whatever scent her skin seemed to be exuding. It wasn't a perfume, he'd decided. That would have smelled too disgusting to him. It was her natural scent, only amplified times ten. And it wasn't just her scent, it was her scent as a _woman_. How was it that it seemed so stifling now when it was radically more tolerable before dinner? He looked to Lady Mitchitsuna, who seemed to be staring at Rin with tightly drawn lips and a cautious look in her eye. He started to wonder...

"I'll get it myself then," Rin said casually as she leaned over the table and stretched her arm to grab a rice ball with her chopsticks.

Sesshomaru saw her delicate form move from the corner of his eye and he was immediately drawn to it, despite his better judgment. He watched as she placed her left hand delicately on the table and her body slowly leaned across, her back arching as she did so. The fabric of her kimono stretched with her body and hugged the curves of her butt as she bent over in a far-reaching pose. His heart beat hard against his chest as he was suddenly reminded of a similar pose, when she had been naked in the forest a few feet in front of him. The intoxicating scent was only a few inches from him as her right arm strained in front of him to reach the plate of rice balls.

It was certainly not the most dignified act one could perform at the dinner table. It was something a child might do, if not taught proper manners. But right now, it didn't matter. For the first time in centuries, Sesshomaru felt an overpowering desire begin to stir inside of him as her delicate female scent hovered inches in front of him. He curled his hand into a tight fist beneath the table as he struggled with the urge to pull her to him. Rin remained completely oblivious to this as she lingered a moment longer, carefully pinning two rice balls between her chopsticks, before slowly moving back to her previous sitting position. The tension in Sesshomaru's fist released in an instant. He let out an inaudible sigh (had he been holding his breath this entire time?) and spied her out of the corner of his eye, smiling brightly before one of the newly acquired rice balls disappeared into her mouth.

Lady Mitchitsuna broke the silence with a nervous laugh, the sort of laugh someone makes when they want to draw attention away from something inappropriate or embarrassing. "Rin, I would have gotten those for you, really—" another loud giggle seemed to interject her sentence unintentionally – "Sesshomaru, do you drink tea?" she tripped over the new, prodding question.

Sesshomaru merely nodded, not really paying attention. His concentration was solely focused on wrestling with Rin's scent and the effect it was having on him, while also considering the growing possibility that there were ulterior motives behind this meal.

Lady Mitchitsuna turned to Rin and made wide, sweeping motions with her hands towards the teapot at the center of the table. Rin didn't understand immediately, but the Miko was urging her – quite frantically, in fact- to pour Sesshomaru some tea. Rin nodded to show she understood, but the Lady's erratic behavior was putting her on edge. Lady Mitchitsuna raised her eyebrows and motioned with her hands a final time as Rin hesitated. Rin nodded again and leaned forward to pick up the teapot.

Rin had never served anyone tea before. The village she had come from was in a constant state of economic hardship, and tea drinking was reserved only for those with wealth. Always eager to impress, however, she leaned forward again – this time, Sesshomaru did not look – and she gripped the teapot handle with one hand. The glossy ceramic felt delicate and slippery against her fingers, which were shaking slightly from sheer nerves. She shot a look at Lady Mitchitsuna for approval. The Lady was biting her lip, but the raised corners of her mouth relayed a sort of smile. Rin smiled back and carefully lifted the teapot, which was a little heavier than expected given its small size. Holding her breath, she carefully, _slowly_, eased the teapot towards Sesshomaru's empty teacup in a manner as graceful as she could manage. Then, an odd thing happened.


	10. According to Plan

Chapter Ten – According to Plan

**Author's Note: The story is going to earn its "M" rating from this point forward. So be warned.

I do not own InuYasha.

Rin was suddenly aware that a pair of eyes were studying her. And this time, it wasn't the anxious glare of the Miko she felt. Without thinking, she looked up at Sesshomaru, whom to her knowledge had scarcely imparted a glance at her this entire night – and caught his unwavering gaze. She paused in surprise, as time seemed to freeze around her, and she stared back at his intense golden eyes. Though his mouth remained fastened in his usual impervious expression, his eyes betrayed him; something lingered within that Rin didn't quite understand, yet at the same time she understood very well, as instinct seemed to take hold of her along with his unrelenting gaze. As his eyes held her their, her head suddenly felt very light while her heart seemed to turn into cement inside of her chest. Slowly the edges of the world seemed to blur together until she could scarcely breathe. She began to lose awareness of herself, of the room they were currently sitting in, and of their present company – and most importantly, she lost awareness of the teapot she was currently holding.

Time then drew in on itself and shot into fast-forward as the teapot dropped effortlessly from Rin's careless fingertips and shattered into fragmented, glossy bits against the table. The tea burst out into a translucent green spray in all directions, though most of it had made its way onto the lap of the very demon who was supposed to be served the tea in a cup.

Sesshomaru was immediately brought to his senses as the sensation of first hot, and then liquid, came to rest in his lap. Had he been human, he most likely would have leaped up from his seat with a cry of pain while uselessly fanning the tea on his pants in an effort to cool it. As he was not human, however, he didn't even flinch. He felt the heat, and was inconvenienced by it, but at the same time he was also relieved. The spell that Rin had cast on him was, for the moment, broken.

Lady Mitchitsuna's mouth opened in a silent shriek while Rin seemed unable to come to her senses. She had been serving her master tea...and then...what happened?

The color drained from Rin's face as the realization of what she had just done came to her, and the look of shock on the Miko's face only affirmed what she already knew: she had just poured piping hot tea into the lap of her Lord. In a fit of nerves, she unknotted her obi with a YANK! and fell to her knees beside Sesshomaru. Before he could protest, she used the obi as a makeshift napkin and began rubbing at the fabric of his pants to blot up the tea. A stammering sentence of apologies began to spill out of her - "Oh, I'm so sorry Lord Sesshomaru – I don't know what happened, I'm so sorry-" as her hands jerked back and forth across his legs, nearly coming into contact with that which cannot be mentioned several times – before Sesshomaru was on his feet and in the face of the already stunned Priestess.

If it had been anyone else but this particular demon, the spectacle may have been humorous to Ryoma, who had done his best to stay as low key as possible throughout the entire ordeal as he watched on. But now as the intimidating height of Sesshomaru towered over his Lady, his temptation to laugh was quickly replaced with the instinct to protect. He jumped to his feet as fast as his human body would allow, but he was not fast enough. Without so much as offering him a glance, Sesshomaru's fist swatted him away like a fly, and Ryoma was sent careening into the wall behind him. His head made contact with a loud "thud!" and he was unconscious. The Miko's protective barrier did not jump to his aid this time.

"Do you think me completely ignorant, mortal?" Sesshomaru said in a low hiss that came out like an oppressive whisper. "Whatever games you're attempting to play at are wasted on me. Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand."

The Miko was speechless. In encounters past, her charisma had been enough to win over just about everyone she crossed. She knew this demon would be different, but she was amazed at just how different. Even the girl that she believed he treasured more than anything else had failed to distract him. And now, for the first time in awhile, she felt truly afraid.

It was Rin's voice, not Mitchitsuna's, that responded to Sesshomaru. "Why do you want to kill her, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin was afraid for the woman's life, and she didn't understand why Sesshomaru suddenly wanted her dead. If anything, his anger should be directed towards her. What did the Priestess have to do with anything?

Sesshomaru answered her with a hint of malice in his voice as his eyes remained fixed on the visibly fearful priestess. "Because I think she's lying to us. I don't think she can help you," he said pointedly.

Mitchitsuna felt like laser beams were boring into her skull as his eyes stared down at her. She had to come up with something to appease him, and fast.

"You've got it all wrong, demon." She had meant to say "demon" more forcefully, but the word died on her lips and came out a mere croak. She cleared her throat and began to speak with more confidence. "I can help your Rin, and I _will. _ I am actually quite taken with her, you know. She's a very charming girl..." a crack of Sesshomaru's knuckles signaled to Lady Mitchitsuna that she needed to get to the point. "You realize that tonight is her last night as a woman, at least for awhile. I wanted her to feel like one. I have such a fine collection of kimonos that I will never get around to wearing. I thought perhaps she'd like to wear one, if just for one night. I thought it was more becoming on her than the rags _you_ had dressed her in, anyway." Mitchitsuna was surprised by the sudden harshness of her words and started to think better of it. Now was not the time to be brave. He was threatening to kill her, wasn't he? And though she had powers, she thought this could be the time when they failed her.

But her words seemed to have the effect she was hoping for. Sesshomaru's look of wrath melted into something less frightening. A look of guilt, perhaps? He cast his eyes downward as he let her words sink in. It was true, all he had been able to give to Rin was old peasant clothes that didn't even fit her properly. Maybe this "distraction" of the Priestess' had merely been an effort to build Rin's spirits. But that still didn't explain Rin's heightened scent-

"If you're going to be angry, you should be angry at me, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin jarred his thoughts. "I'm the one who spilled tea on you, after all."

It was such an innocent decree, such a painfully obvious thing to say – such a child-like thing to say. Though Rin meant well by what she said, it poisoned Sesshomaru's ears. She was beautiful, of course. Beautiful, and alluring to him in ways that he didn't even think possible until tonight. But behind that beautiful mask lay a child, and he began to feel sick again.

He'd had enough for tonight.

"Tomorrow morning, you will fulfill your promise," Sesshomaru said to the Priestess. "And in return, I won't kill you." Without another word, he turned away from her and began walking towards the hallway. Rin watched after him, her fear for Mitchitsuna's life now replaced with the fear of him leaving her.

"My Lord, where are you going?" She stood to her feet and made a motion to follow him, but he stopped her.

"You will be staying here tonight," he avoided her question. "I will send Jaken to watch over you. I will be back in the morning." A few seconds later, and he was gone.

Rin turned to stare at the empty pillow where her demon caretaker had just been sitting moments before, and the glimmering bits of broken ceramic caught her eye. As if mimicking them, her eyes began to glimmer as well, only with tears. She tried to remember the brief moment that their eyes had met not too long before all this mess, and she found that moment becoming harder and harder to recall. That moment had felt like an eternity at the time; now it felt like it happened ages ago. And, she realized as she stifled tears, it may not ever happen again.

A low, painful grumbling sound stirred Rin from her thoughts. Ryoma was coming to. He clutched the back of his head as he sat up and winced as his fingers made contact with the large bump on his head. He withdrew his hand and looked at it, searching for traces of blood. Thankfully there was none. But he knew there could have been a lot of blood, if the demon willed it.

"That...sneaky...ungrateful...fucking..._bastard_," the monk said between breaths as he eased himself up to his feet. He felt unstable at first, and leaned against the same wall he had nearly fractured his skull against for support. He considered apologizing for his course language, but neither of the two women seemed to notice. "Well, anyone mind telling me what THAT was all about?"

The Priestess seemed oblivious to his existence. Her thoughts were racing. Her plan had failed. She could have sworn she sensed an internal struggle within the demon, but maybe it was only wishful thinking on her part. She would have known for certain, if only Rin hadn't dropped the damned tea...

More grumbling sounds seemed to be coming from somewhere in the distance, but this time it wasn't from Ryoma. Soon, the small figure of Jaken appeared from the shadows of the hallway, as he noisily murmured to himself about his lot in life. "Stupid Rin, stupid village...why couldn't Lord Sesshomaru bring Rin back with him instead of sending_ me _here..."

Ryoma, now having fully regained his composure, eyed the approaching toad demon with apprehension. "Who are _you?_"

"Shouldn't that be obvious?" the tiny demon flailed his arms as if it was the stupidest question on earth. "I'm here to watch over that brat- err, _Rin._" Jaken needed to be careful with his choice of words. Knowing his luck, Sesshomaru was probably still within listening distance.

"Master Jaken," Rin said flatly. It wasn't really an introduction, it was more of reminder to herself that Sesshomaru was gone.

The toad demon turned to the Priestess, who looked like she was a million miles away. He ignored her vacant expression and cleared his throat to deliver a formal introduction. "I Jaken, most loyal servant to Lord Sesshomaru, the most powerful demon of the Western Lands, have hereby been commanded to- errr - stay here and watch Rin until tomorrow's ritual. I believe there will be no objections to this, mortal? Err – Priestess."

The Priestess stared at the diminutive toad that stood before her and nodded meekly. "Tomorrow's ritual...yes..." she turned to face Ryoma now, who looked disgusted with the new presence of this "Jaken" creature. "Darling monk, will you please show our guests to their quarters, then?"

Ryoma adopted a new look of surprise. He cast an uneasy glance at Jaken, then leaned in to the Priestess' ear so that he wouldn't be overheard. "Oh..umm..really m'lady, can't that "thing" sleep outside or something-"

"You impertinent wretch! I am not a _thing!" _Jaken squealed and raised a small, shaking fist at the monk. "You're lucky Lord Sesshomaru isn't here, he would never stand to see me insulted so!"

Rin thought about voicing her disagreement with Jaken on that last remark, but she wasn't in the mood. She merely resigned herself to a sigh. "We can sleep outside, if you'd like. I'm used to sleeping outside."

The monk's look of surprise transitioned into an even bigger look of surprise as he waved off her suggestion as completely ridiculous. "Of course not, Rin! You're our guest, and...uhh...Jaken is also our guest. I guess."

Jaken began tapping his foot impatiently as Ryoma tiptoed past him and in the direction of the hallway. "This way then," Ryoma said with his big, toothy grin that Rin didn't entirely like.

Jaken followed after Ryoma a good five feet behind, with Rin behind him, and the Priestess bringing up the rear. Mitchitsuna had looked completely out of it ever since Sesshomaru left. Rin supposed she understood why. She was probably shaken up after his threat on her life.

Rin allowed herself to fall behind until Lady Mitchitsuna caught up with her. Rin, now walking beside her, tried to offer her sincerest apologies for Sesshomaru's behavior. "I'm very sorry about what my Lord said to you before," Rin said, though she wasn't sure the Miko was listening. "He doesn't usually get angry that easily. I guess it's because I spilled tea on him."

The Priestess smiled at that, but it was an empty smile. Maybe even an angry smile. "It's all right, my dear. Tomorrow I'll...make good on my promise to transform you back, and it will all be fine."

"I'm sorry that I dropped the tea, too. It's just..." Rin wanted to explain the way she felt, but somehow it didn't seem appropriate, so she trailed off.

But that's when the Priestess' interest seemed piqued. "It's just what, dear?"

"Well..." Rin began fumbling with her obi as she walked, which she had been carrying in her hands. No sense putting it back on since it was wet with tea. "When I was about to pour the tea, I had this strange feeling. And when I looked up, I saw that he was looking at me. And..." she trailed off again, looking down at her feet in embarrassment.

"And then what?" Lady Mitchitsuna prompted, trying her best to conceal her impatience.

"And well, he's never looked at me that way before. It made me feel..._tingly. _I feel like there must be a better word for it, but I'm not sure what it is. And then I felt like I was going to faint, and I dropped the tea."

The Priestess stopped in her tracks, and Rin stopped with her. A wave of relief seemed to wash over the Priestess, and her posture straightened and a smile curled her lips. "Oh Rin, there's no need to apologize at all!" she said, her exuberant tone tinging her voice again. "So he was looking at you in a way that made you feel tingly, hmm?" The Priestess began walking again, much faster this time, and Rin raced forward to catch up with her.

"Yes, it was odd. I've never felt anything like that before. Does that mean there's something wrong with me?"

"Not at all, my dear," the Miko cooed, "in fact, I was hoping you maybe you could explain it to me a little bit more."

As they walked on, past the main hall and up the stairs, into a small room that had been prepared just for guests, Rin described very briefly her inner struggle within her new body, to which the Priestess responded "Hmmm" and "You don't say?" before entering the room where she and Jaken would be staying.

"There are sleeping robes in the dresser should you need them, please let me know if the floor mat is to your liking. Oh...but don't go to sleep just yet, I have something to bring for you," Lady Mitchitsuna said to Rin, while Ryoma and Jaken stood in the room completely ignored.

The Priestess left the room in a hurry, and Ryoma looked like he might follow her example. "Yes, well...goodnight to you both then, we'll see you first thing in the morning!" he said and exited the room as if it'd been on fire. Once he was gone, Jaken began to do what he did best. Complain.

"The NERVE of that wretched mortal! Calling me a thing! He's lucky I don't use the staff of two heads on him! Can you believe that Lord Sesshomaru would make us stay in a place like this? In this filthy mortal place with these filthy mortal floor mats?" The toad demon sat down on one of the floor mats defiantly, making a spectacle of it by placing his bottom on it as hard as he could, as if he was expecting the mat make a loud sound that would echo his anger at the situation.

However, the mat made no sound because it was so soft. He attempted to sit down hard on it again, harder this time, but still no sound. He tried three more times in rapid succession but to no avail. He crossed his arms in defeat. "Stupid mortal floor mat," he said again, though secretly he was pleased by how soft it was compared to hard forest floor he was accustomed to.

The Priestess entered the room again, slowly this time in case anyone was indecent (not that she really expected Rin to change in front of that toad demon), and set down an incense burner. "My special blend of herbs, it will calm you and make you better rested for tomorrow's ritual." She lit the incense and a plume of smoke emerged almost immediately, dancing into the air like silk. Mitchitsuna motioned to the empty floor mat next to Jaken, and Rin instinctively walked over to it and laid down, despite still being in her full kimono. For some reason, she sensed that the Priestess wanted her to keep it on.

Mitchitsuna leaned in to her ear to whisper something before she retired for the evening. "I think maybe you and I should talk more about how you felt tonight," and gave a little wink.

Rin looked puzzled even as she suppressed a yawn. "But we won't have time to talk about it anymore, in the morning we-"

"I wouldn't be so sure," the Miko said to herself, but loud enough for Rin to hear. Then she beamed a bright smile and gave Rin a brief kiss on the cheek, like a mother would do, before walking to the door.

"Goodnight, Rin...and...Jacko." It didn't matter that she said his name wrong, Jaken was already asleep and snoring.

Mitchitsuna disappeared from the room, and Rin heard her footsteps get fainter and fainter as she retreated down the stairs and to her own private quarters. As Jaken emitted a loud snore, she wondered if she would ever be able to fall asleep. But the incense worked its magic, and her heavy lids fell close.

...

The Miko sat in her quarters, her hair taken down and laying in black waves about her face and neck. She was sitting in front of her full length mirror on a box of something-or-other that had probably been intended as a gift, but was serving as a seat for now. She looked on at the reflection of Ryoma, who was standing behind her and brushing her hair. He wore an expression of confusion as he stared down (too intently, she thought) at his hands as they worked. She watched him open his mouth to speak several times but then stop himself. His hands moved mechanically as he performed this nightly task of brushing her black locks; it was obvious that his mind was elsewhere.

Lady Mitchitsuna pursed her lips as she watched him while he remained unaware that she was watching him. "You 're wondering what I'm planning, aren't you?"

The monk stopped mid-stroke with the brush and his eyes darted up to meet hers in the mirror. He seemed relieved to see that she was looking coy, and not fearful as she had earlier that night.

"You are a very elusive woman, you know that, my Lady?" The monk said through a playful smile as his hands began to work at her hair again. "I've been trying to figure it out since those two showed up here. But we haven't really had much time to ourselves to discuss it since they arrived, have we?" He withdrew a hand and traced a line down her cheek and across her jawbone, prompting a sigh from the Miko. Part of her hoped he would go further, but instead his hand disappeared behind her head again to continue brushing. Ever a tease, that monk.

"No, we haven't," she agreed. "If things had gone according to my original plan, we wouldn't even need to have this conversation. But, since we're here, I will tell you my intentions."

The monk's brush strokes slowed to a crawl as he watched her in anticipation. She was staring at the floor now, silently searching for the right words.

Then, Mitchitsuna gave a sad little smile. "I guess it should be obvious by now that I can't break the spell on Rin."

The monk's eyes widened slightly, but he already knew that to be the case. Why else would she bother with the dinner and all of the theatrics? He looked down at his hands again as he mindlessly brushed her hair, and smiled back. "Well, I already had my guesses about that," he said, shrugging it off. "But more importantly, _why _can't you?"

The Miko appeared as though she was having a mental struggle as she tried to answer his question. She looked as if she wanted to answer one way, but thought better of it and answered another way instead. "It's...beyond my realm of expertise," she said at last. "I knew that from the moment I touched her."

The monk furrowed his brow. "Then why did you tell that demon that you could do it?"

She furrowed her brow as well, only out of frustration rather than confusion. "Did it look like I had much choice? If I didn't agree to help out that girl, I have no reservations that demon would have decimated this entire village."

"But...your spiritual powers-"

"-Are _not_ without limitations," the Miko snapped. The room grew quiet, then Mitchitsuna smiled again. "I'm sorry, my monk. Surely you understand how serious this is. What the consequences will be if I fail again..."

"Fail at what, exactly?" Ryoma's curiosity was too great for him to truly appreciate what really _would _happen if Rin couldn't be transformed back.

"I...I sensed a sort of anxiety between the two of them, the girl and the demon," the Priestess said. "The sort of anxiety you might see between a couple of love sick teenagers that can't admit their feelings for each other."

Ryoma tried to picture the haughty demon who had knocked him unconscious and even tried to murder him as a lovesick teenager and couldn't help but laugh. "I doubt that cold hearted bastard knows what love is," Ryoma chuckled.

"I don't think he does, either," Mitchitsuna agreed, "or at least he doesn't_ think_ he does."

Ryoma waited for her to continue. He didn't realize it, but he had been brushing the empty air for the last five minutes.

Mitchitsuna was so distracted, she didn't seem to notice either. "I was hoping that by enhancing her appearance and her natural scent, it would persuade him to at least postpone the ritual, if not disregard it entirely."

Ryoma laughed his conceited laugh again. "My lady, I doubt that a demon who can't even crack a smile would postpone a ritual just because a girl in the room smells a little nicer than usual-"

"I used my most _highly concentrated_ scent-enhancing serum! Admittedly it only works on humans who are at a very close range, but on a_ demon..._he shouldn't have been able to keep his hands off her!_"_

Ryoma then realized that his hand had been brushing nothing for who knew how long, and immediately grabbed up a fistful of the Lady's hair and continued brushing as if nothing had happened. He then tried to imagine this Sesshomaru guy uncontrollably groping Rin at the dinner table, and was sort of glad that he hadn't. Though, he didn't really mind the idea of groping Rin himself, that's for sure-

"And I think he might have given in, if Rin hadn't spilled the God damned tea—pardon my profanity, my monk," the Priestess apologized, though Ryoma didn't exactly hear the first part of her sentence. "But, that doesn't matter now, because I believe part two of my plan is what will save us."

The monk tried to shake the impromptu mental images of Rin from his head as he rejoined the conversation with his Miko consort. "And what is "part two", exactly?"

To his surprise, Mitchitsuna turned from the mirror to face him. She was eye-level with his crotch (as she was still sitting and he standing), and she used this to her advantage. She grabbed at the hardness forming within his robes (which he never would have admitted was due to thinking of Rin and not her), and the brush handle slid from his fingers and dropped to the floor. She smiled up at him with her playful smile and gave him his answer. "She is still a child underneath the mask she wears. It was my mistake, only teaching her how to _look_ like a woman...now it's time for us to teach her how to _act_ like one."

...

The cow, heavy in the latter stages of pregnancy, had no chance of escaping the giant dog's powerful jaws. She lived barely long enough to give an agonizing cry before she and her unborn calf were silenced by giant piercing teeth. Then, both corpses disappeared noisily down the white dog's throat.

But it wasn't enough to satiate his hunger.

"More...I need more," the giant dog groaned and his hungry red eyes scanned the field for his next victim.

The farmer's field in which the dog stood was filled with cows. They had been sleeping soundly beneath a near-full moon before he had appeared, licking his chops hungrily. He had already swallowed two of them whole. But it just wasn't enough.

He approached the next one, a particularly fat one that looked both juicy and slow-moving, not that the bovine's speed would really matter. Instead of simply swallowing this one, he decided he would take his time. He approached her from behind, scraping his massive paws against the tall grass and allowing his hot breath to warm her backside. The cow was startled by the sound and the warmth, and turned to see a mouth full of fangs staring her in the face. She clamored to her feet, mooing at the top of her lungs, alerting the others of the ambush – but before she could run, she was enveloped by something warm and dark. Then came the teeth.

He allowed the blood fill his mouth as if he was savoring the juice of a sweet nectarine. Then he gnashed his teeth and delighted in how easily they cut through the meat and bone. This one he swallowed in pieces. And still, he hungered.

It was not usually in his nature to instill such suffering in his prey. Mealtimes were few and far between, and made out of necessity and the need to survive more than anything else. But tonight was different. Tonight he felt a blood-lust that he hadn't felt in years. Tonight he wanted others to suffer as he was suffering.

The cows were aware of his presence now. Many of them were lumbering away as fast as their insufficient little legs could carry them, bleating and mooing all the while and creating a chorus of fear. Good.

He sped up to the nearest one, an older one with a limp– and bit her back legs off mid-step. The rest of her body fell with a meager thud and was immediately cradled between his teeth.

"More...more..." he thought as the herd shuffled fearfully in front of the fence that blocked their chance at freedom.

He approached the herd slowly, purposefully, letting their impending deaths stir on their tiny brains. He rejoiced in their fear. He invited it. "Let them know suffering before they depart from this world," he thought in contempt.

Then, a younger one tiptoed into his view. She had awkwardly long legs and her udders were not yet fat with milk. This one was at a transitional stage, not exactly a baby, but not quite grown up. This one seemed oblivious to the carnage he intended to create. She stepped in front of the herd non-chalantly, without fear. Her beady black eyes stared back at his glowing red ones and seemed to beckon one silent question: "_Why?_"

An image of Rin flashed in his brain. The very first image of her, when she had approached him while he was injured in the woods, unafraid and ignorant of the atrocities that he could inflict. But he imagined her as she was now...beautiful, not quite a child. Yet still not quite a woman.

His heart sank.

A rustling came from the grass behind him, then human voices. Men's voices.

"What is going on out here?" a man asked. Then a younger man, maybe his son, answered his question for him.

"Oh my—A DEMON! He's eating our cows!" he screamed. "It's huge...a monster!"

Sesshomaru cast a look at them over his shoulder. The cows must have woken the farmer, who was a frail-looking old man, and his son, who looked to be in his transitional years as well. Killing them would be too easy.

"Killing them...would be too easy," his mind repeated again, and he turned to the woods and ran.

...

No longer in his dog form, Sesshomaru sat in a small clearing in the woods, staring up at the moon.

Did he feel guilty for what he had done? Certainly not. He was a demon that needed to eat after all, and hadn't thousands already died between his teeth, or at the end of his sword?

Guilt...no, not guilt. Perplexed. Yes, Sesshomaru was feeling perplexed.

He thought of the blood, and the cows' useless screams before devouring them. It wasn't any different than any other time, really. Except this time, he had wanted them to suffer. He had wanted their blood. Why had he thirsted for blood so badly?

'_It's not blood that you crave,'_ his conscience answered him, '_It was never the blood. It was always the girl.'_

Rin. She had looked delicious tonight as well, in another way entirely.

Sesshomaru stared down at himself. He was naked now, as his clothes were hanging to dry on a tree limb nearby. No demon lord could be taken seriously with a tea stain on his clothes, after all.

Visions of her stirred in his brain. Her slender neck, her black-rimmed eyes. Her sweet-looking lips...her body...her scent...

"Curse that scent," he said aloud to himself, and for a moment he thought he could smell it again. He could smell her scent hanging in the air and he breathed it in deeply.

His hand, the only one he had, dove instinctively between his legs, but he stopped himself. Was _surprised_ at himself for doing so. '_What a useless thing that would be,'_ he thought even as he could feel himself hardening at the prospect. '_It would serve no purpose. It would scarcely relieve how I'm feeling, anyway.'_

He stood to his feet and checked on his clothes. They were still damp, but they would do. As he plucked them off the branch they were on, he realized he actually _could _still smell her scent. Yet it was modified somehow, it was different from before. Now the scent smelled...

_ Excited._

He almost reeled back as the idea of Rin in a state of excitement passed through his brain.

No, that couldn't be. His mind was playing tricks on him somehow.

"What in the Hell did that Priestess use?" he said aloud again as he put his clothing on. _'And why?_' he thought.

Sesshomaru finished the final touch of his ensemble: the mokomoko, which he had had not bothered soaking so it was still dry. The rest of his clothes were wet enough that they clung to his skin as he moved. It was an unpleasant sensation, which he thought was good.

Yet even the feeling of partially wet clothes couldn't suppress the shiver of delight he felt when a gust of wind brought along Rin's scent with it. '_I need to get as far from here as possible,_' he thought. Jaken was watching over Rin tonight, that would be good enough.

And so, the demon summoned his cloud, and rode into the night as far away from the village in the mountains as possible. He wouldn't realize until much later, his grave mistake.


End file.
